Lynx roll past Liberty in nationally-televised game

In a game of crazy runs, the Lynx had the final say.

With their 21-point first-half lead evaporated in the third quarter, and with Kayla McBride having just being given a technical foul, the Lynx responded. The game was tied when Sabrina Ionescu hit the technical free throw, then scored.

But McBride had two three-pointers and Alanna Smith one in an 11-0 run that put the Lynx up for good in an 84-67 victory over New York in a nationally-televised game at Target Center on Saturday.

Up eight entering the fourth quarter, the Lynx used some pesky defense to keep the Liberty down, handing New York (4-2) its second consecutive loss. The Liberty were outscored 29-13 over the final 13 minutes of the game.

The Lynx (3-1) improved to 2-0 at Target Center this season, and it was an almost complete team effort.

Four of five starters were in double figures. Napheesa Collier had 15 points and had 12 rebounds. Smith scored 15, McBride and Bridget Carleton had 14.

Carlton, in the starting lineup for the injured Diamond Miller, had a steal, was fouled and made two free throws with 3:13 left in the game to put the Lynx up 16.

And it doesn’t stop there. The Lynx bench scored just 11 points in a difficult loss in Connecticut on Thursday. But reserves totaled 19 points Sunday, that include six points from Cecilia Zandalasini, five from Natisha Hiedeman and four points and four rebounds coming from Dorka Juhász in her first game with the team this year.

League MVP Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 20 points; Ionescu had 13 and Courtney Vandersloot 12. New York shot 38.2%.

With 3:16 left in the first quarter, Vandersloot scored to draw the Liberty within 18-17. The rest of the first half included two insane swings of momentum.

First the Lynx: Getting three three-pointers, including the first two of Zandalasini’s season — and getting points from six players, the Lynx went on a 20-0 run to go up 38-17 on Smith’s three-pointer with 6:47 left in the half, a stretch in which the Liberty went 0-for-8 with five turnovers.

And then the Liberty: New York finished the first half on a 23-6 run to pull within 44-40 at the half. Stewart scored eight, Vandersloot seven and Leonie Fiebich six in the run, which including 14 points off seven Lynx turnovers. The Lynx went 2-for-4 with seven turnovers in that stretch.