Shock move within one win of another title
PHOENIX – Katie Smith made the big shots. The Phoenix Mercury missed from just about everywhere.
As a result, the Detroit Shock are back in control of the WNBA finals.
Smith scored 22 points, one shy of her career playoff high, to help the defending champions beat the cold-shooting Mercury 88-83 Tuesday night and take a 2-1 lead in the WNBA finals.
The 33-year-old Detroit forward, in her 12th pro season, made 4 of 8 3-pointers, 3 for 4 in an 11-point third quarter.
“The defining moment of the game was her three or four shots that she made in a row there,” Shock coach Bill Laimbeer said. “She knew it was her time to make those shots, and she did.”
Phoenix, meanwhile, shot 35 percent, including a miserable 5 for 31 on 3s, in front of a loud home crowd of 12,024.
“We’re a shooting team,” Mercury coach Paul Westhead said, “so when you’re not making shots, it really gets tough on you.”
The Shock, who regrouped from a 28-point home loss in Game 2 on Saturday, can wrap up the best-of-5 series and their third WNBA title since 2003 with a victory in Game 4 Thursday night in Phoenix.
Detroit took the lead for good in the game’s first four minutes. Phoenix stayed close, but could never quite catch up.
Deanna Nolan, who scored 20, sank a crucial 3-pointer with 1:53 to go, then sealed the victory with four consecutive free throws in the final 8.3 seconds.
Diana Taurasi scored 22 for the Mercury. Tangela Smith scored 17 but made only 6 of 17 shots for Phoenix. She was 0 for 6 on 3s. Penny Taylor was in foul trouble most of the night but still played 33 minutes and had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Mercury.
The game came to an ugly conclusion when, according to Taurasi, Detroit’s Plenette Pierson took a swing at Taylor. The two squared off and both received technicals.
“It was a cheap shot at the end of the game,” Taurasi said. “Whenever that happens, you can hurt somebody that way. I think the league should look at it.”
Taurasi was suspended for two regular-season games for her conduct toward officials in a game against Detroit on June 22.
Kelly Miller made two free throws with 2:16 to play to cut the lead to 79-77, but Nolan made a 3-pointer to put the Shock up 82-77 1:53 from the finish. Taurasi made 1 of 2 free throws, but after an offensive rebound, Tangela Smith had an open 3-pointer but missed.
Moments later, Cappie Pondexter made the first of two free throws, then Detroit lost the ball out of bounds rebounding her miss on the second. Pondexter got free for what would have been a game-tying 3, but the shot just rimmed out.