Angel Reese, Allisha Gray help Dream tame Lynx in season-opening road win
Don’t judge the Dream on how they started.
The finish was much better.
The Dream overcame a 15-point halftime deficit and stormed back for a thrilling 91-90 victory over the Lynx on Saturday night at Target Center.
Te-Hina Paopao hit a 16-foot, go-ahead jumper with 11 seconds remaining and the Dream got blocks in the final seconds from Allisha Gray and then Angel Reese at the buzzer to preserve the victory.
“I just trust ‘Pao’ and she looked like she had a little bit of space, so I just let the play go out and ‘Pao’ knocked it down, so that was huge,” coach Karl Smesko said. “Just a great way to finish the game.
After a dismal first half, Gray scored 18 of her 24 points in the second half. Reese, in her Dream debut, registered her 50th career double-double, with 11 points and 14 rebounds, along with three blocked shots.
Top performers
Dream:
Allisha Gray: 24 points, eight rebounds and three assists
Rhyne Howard: 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals
Naz Hillmon: 15 points and seven rebounds
Angel Reese: 11 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots
Jordin Canada: 12 points and six assists
Lynx:
Olivia Miles: 21 points and eight assists
Kayla McBride: 18 points
Courtney Williams: 14 points, six rebounds and five assists
Key play
With the Dream trailing by one with less than 20 seconds remaining, Paopao took a pass on the wing from Naz Hillmon and drove for the pullup jumper. It turned out to be the final points of the game, as the Dream had a couple of blocks to finish it.
Highlight play
With the Dream clawing their way back into the game in the fourth quarter, Reese had active hands on the perimeter, creating a steal. Canada gathered the ball and passed ahead to Reese, who sprinted down the court and finished with a layup at the other end, cutting the lead to three.
Quotable
- “She came up big in the biggest moments. … She had that late layup and the offensive rebound, and then she had the block to win it. I do think at first, she was just trying to feel her way around a little bit, maybe first-game nerves with us. She’s a total competitor. When the game came to the end and we needed a play, she made it. I’m not surprised at all — she’s that type of person.” — Smesko on Reese
- “My experience has been great because we got a win. It was rough for me tonight, but this is what you call a team. Being able to have players who have your back and always will pick you up, even when you’re not having your best game, and always in your ear and putting a lot of confidence into you. It’s been great and I’m happy we got the win tonight, and we just continue to grow because this wasn’t our best.” — Reese on her first game with the Dream
- “This is a team, so even when I had that rough first half, they stayed in my ear, (saying) ‘You’ve got it and your shots are going to fall. Continue being aggressive and continue doing you.’ It just started to click, and the rest is history.” — Gray, on bouncing back from her first half.
- “I’m really happy for ‘Pao’; she’s our Energizer Bunny.” — Reese on Paopao’s go-ahead shot.
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