Tina Charles scores 22, Dream start hot and beat Sky 89-80

Tina Charles scores 22, Dream start hot and beat Sky 89-80 originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) — Tina Charles scored 22 points, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus added 18 and the Atlanta Dream beat the Chicago Sky 89-80 on Saturday.

Allisha Gray scored 14 points for Atlanta (5-4) and Aerial Powers 11. Rhyne Howard finished with 10 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.

Diamond DeShields hit a pull-up jumper to make it 4-2 a minute into the game but Chicago missed six consecutive shots and committed three turnovers as the Dream ripped off a 15-2 run — capped when Gray made back-to-back 3-pointers — before Angel Reese made a layup that cut the Sky’s deficit to 17-8 almost five minutes later.

Atlanta (5-4) hit 12 of 22 from the field in the first quarter and led 29-15 going into the second.

Reese finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds and five steals. The 6-foot-3 rookie had her third consecutive double-double and her fourth of the season for Chicago (4-6). Kamilla Cardoso and Dana Evans also scored 13 points apiece and Marina Mabrey added 12.

Lindsay Allen converted a three-point play to cap a 7-0 spurt and cut the Sky’s deficit to 78-75 midway through the fourth quarter but Charles answered with two free throws. Parker-Tyus followed with a layup and then two free throws and Howard hit a deep 3-pointer that made it 87-79 with 1:42 left.