Shaky Lynx drop Game 1 of WNBA Finals 75-69 to Indiana

MINNESOTA _ All week long the Lynx insisted this year wasn’t the same as 2012. So many new faces, a different time.tmpplchld But the more things change...tmpplchld With their characteristic grit and physical play, with defense that stymied the Lynx much of the game, Indiana came to Target Center on Sunday and _ just like they did in 2012 _ took Game 1 of the WNBA finals 75-69.tmpplchld And they did it behind 19 points by Briann January, 16 by Marissa Coleman and 12 from Tamika Catchings.tmpplchld A tight, physical game throughout, the Lynx pulled within three, 68-65, late, when January fouled out and was called for a technical with 1:12 left. Maya Moore made the technical free throw, but made just one of two of the next two to make it a three-point game.tmpplchld But Shavonte Zellous drove past Anna Cruz to score. Moore scored on a put-back at the other end, then the Lynx got the ball back with 19.3 seconds left after a Fever miss.tmpplchld But, coming out of a time out, Lynx center Sylvia Fowles was tied up. She won the jump ball, tipping it to Moore. But Moore committed her sixth turnover _ the team’s 15th _ and Catchings hit two game-sealing free throws at the other end.tmpplchld Moore finished with a game-high 27 points. She also had 12 rebounds. Fowles had 21 points and 11 rebounds, but turned the ball over five times. Seimone Augustus scored nine.tmpplchld January had 19 points and six assists for Indiana, which also got 16 points from Coleman and 12 from Catchings.tmpplchld The Fever was 16-for-16 from the free throw line and had a 22-12 edge in second-chance points.tmpplchld After a listless first quarter ended in a 10-10 tie, the Lynx appeared to be settling in when they took a 26-21 lead with 4:03 left in the half on Fowles’ basket in the post.tmpplchld The rest of the half belonged to the Fever, who used a 14-3 run to end the half _ January and Coleman each hit 3-pointers and had five points in the run _ to take a 35-29 lead on Larkins’ lay-in at the buzzer after Moore’s third turnover.tmpplchld The Fever shot just 35.9 percent in the half and were out-rebounded overall, but the Fever had a 15-4 edge on second-chance points and scored eight points off 10 Lynx turnovers while building the six-point lead.tmpplchld The Lynx kept up the defensive pressure in the third quarter, but struggled to get good shots on offense, going 6-for-16 from the field. The Fever pushed the lead to eight late in the third quarter on January’s jumper before Moore hit one of two free throws to make it 54-47 Lynx entering the fourth.tmpplchld The second game in the best-of-five series will be at Target Center on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.tmpplchld ___tmpplchld (c)2015 Star Tribune (Minneapolis)tmpplchld Visit the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) at www.startribune.comtmpplchld Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.tmpplchld