Storm vs. Lynx game thread: Storm remain undefeated at home

-With Nicky Anosike out, Reeve said Charde Houston is likely to start…. but we’ll find out eventually.

-An interesting response to the question of whether this is a “must-win” game:

“Every game that we play from here on out is important in terms of our playoff lives, our playoff positioning,” said Reeve. “I don’t know that I would call this a must-win game – it sure would be helpful as we try to control our own destiny. If we don’t win this game we need help in other areas around the league. So we don’t wanna be in that situation where we’re begging other teams around the league to beat someone else.”

She described Sunday’s game against San Antonio and their upcoming game against Los Angeles as “must-win” games.

-She noted that they’ve played the Storm close this season and that they matchup well.

- On Hornbuckle (not yet with the team last they visited KeyArena): she called her a “possession player” – rebounding, ball handling, etc. The little things that help them.

- On Monica Wright: she had a stretch since their last time here in which she was inefficient, but she’s becoming more “poised”, according to Reeve. That is not only shot selection, but the way she has been taking those shots.

- In their many close wins, she said they’ve lost their focus/“attention to detail” — “just losing sight of what got us the lead”.

- She noted that Charde Houston can get her “blood pressure through the roof”, but at about the midpoint of the season, she had to realize that she needs to take the good with the bad.

Summed up nicely by the Seattle Storm twitter account:

“Brian Agler says he’ll play tonight’s game “as normal as possible.” Starters won’t play “big, big minutes,” but will play regular rotations."

The focus is on getting crisp before heading into the playoffs — right now they’re still focused on themselves rather than the opponents.

Lynx:
Augustus
Houston
Brunson
Wright
Whalen

Storm:
Cash
Jackson
Little
Bird
Wright

Uh yeah. So far…wowza.

After Jackson’s layup to open the game, the Lynx have gone on a 10-0 run and it’s been all Whalen…

2 layups – including a 3 point play – driving hard to the basket, an assist on a swing to Wright and an assist on a fastbreak to Brunson.

Looks like they might like to enjoy the playoffs, no?

Not a good start. Announcers keep blaming it on resting the starters on the road trip…hmmmm

Seattle didn’t loan their jerseys to another team that shall not be named? What is this nonsense play??

Well… the most noticeable thing about this game is by far Whalen’s intensity so far.

She took it right to Bird on the first play, and went on to finish the 1st quarter with 9 points and 3 assists, going 4-4…

Very, very impressive….

A lot of quick jumpers going both ways here in a 7-7 quarter…

From a Storm perspective, you just gotta make shots and you’’ll be right back in this one…

From a Lynx perspective you just gotta make shots and you’ll blow this one wide open…

Oh.. and about that turnover problem: the Storm have 5 already halfway through this quarter….

A quick 5-0 run for the Storm…and the crowd goes wild after that Jackson three…

I know some coaches say the crowd noise rattles their team and carries the Storm, others say it doesn’t… but it gets so loud in here when the tide even begins to start turning the Storm’s way….

Svetlana Abrosimova has come out in the 2nd quarter and been a sparkplug once again on both ends of the floor, pressuring ball handlers on defense and looking for her shot on offense.

so, maybe they’ve decided to show now?

We are right behind the Lynx basket…Whalen is very confident when she sees Sue Bird standing in between her and the basket…

She’s got the size advantage and is basically daring whoever is in front of her to stop her….wow….

maybe that’ll make Whalen think twice…

…always make we wonder what each locker room is like at halftime.

From SBN Seattle:

http://seattle.sbnation.com/2010/8/17/1628882/halftime-at-keyarena-lynx-39-storm

And right away, the Storm give up an o board and then Cash throws a bad pass into the foot of her defender…

Ouch…

Jackson gets two consecutive baskets — a oreb/layup and a three off an assist from Bird — to cut the lead to single digits, but the Storm are still generally getting outworked right now.

The turnover saga continues for the Storm: 6 this quarter…

…and equally voracious in their booing on that ofoul called on Wright…

I’m sure Agler finds that…troubling…

Boo. :-/

The intensity really picked up here at the end of the 3rd and a large part of that can be attributed to the play of Swin Cash who had 7 points and 3 rebounds in the period.

Lindsay Whalen, who already has 18 points 5 rebs and 4 asts sat for a portion of the end there and she’ll be rested when she checks back in.

Gets the crowd going…

And the Brunson airball definitely helped…

After an extended rest and the Lynx up 2

And Whalen quiets them with another big jumper…

At all….

…your announcers are unhappy as well.

Now Charde’s turn for whining, I see…

Reeve mentioned “poise” before the game and here’s where that comes into play — Whalen has been quiet this qtr, Reeve is not particularly happy with shot selection, and the Storm have figured out how to get a few rebounds and stop a few.

Big bucket by Cash, staying aggressive around the basket, but the play overall down the stretch has been good from both teams.

They’re both moving the ball and right now it’s coming down to missed shots – Wright missed a big three and the Storm came down and capitalized, taking the lead…

Wow. That was huge. Rookie eff up major…

She went straight to the bench shaking her head..

Hornbuckle walks over to the ref to replace her laughingly saying something

What a nutty game!!