Section 111 during last night’s matchup between the Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx went from dismay to surprise to head-scratching, wondering what it was we were watching. It certainly wasn’t a particularly good game on the offensive side. The defense did its job, but in between it began to resemble a street fight more than a basketball game.
The Lynx came off and successfully matched the Sun’s aggressive style, to the point that I was sure someone would be ejected. Couple that with what I think was very poor refereeing, the game never settled into any kind of visible rhythm.
Minnesota Got A Team Effort In The Win
It was a game in which the stars for Minnesota had uncommon difficulties but got some good production from the bench, whereas the big guns of the Sun got no backup from theirs. Given the records for the teams, this is hardly something to be concerned about. Every starter on each team made at least a few significant contributions, so it really was a collaborative team exercise in rodeo-style basketball.
DUB. pic.twitter.com/EzI5WqhoLP
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) October 2, 2024
I can only imagine how baffled both Stephanie White and Cheryl Reeve must have been throughout the game, wondering who exactly was on the floor. The Sun had a three-point lead a couple of times in the first quarter, but after that, it was all Minnesota. The game was more a display of survival in a basketball jungle than one of great skills. It was indeed a slugfest. These teams know each other so well, and to see the Lynx come out and match the physicality of the Sun made it a little easier to stay ahead.
At this point, there is nothing new that will happen, no October Surprise if you will. In its own way, it was an enjoyable game to watch, in that the key baskets that each team needed to keep it interesting did fall, but bad passes and other turnovers proved costly and added to the sloppiness that was a part of the game. No one here is trying to fill the stat sheets for posterity; they just want to win.
The Series Shifts to Connecticut for Games Three and Four
With the next two games at Mohegan Sun Arena, we will see more of the same. If they split, game 5 will be back in Minnesota. With the Liberty having a 2-0 lead over Las Vegas, I would say the odds are that the winner of the Sun/Lynx series will meet the Liberty. No one has come back from being down two games to win a series.
So all we can do is buckle up because from here on in it will not only be a bumpy ride, but a pretty exciting and unpredictable one as well.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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