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Lynx rally to take Game 1 of WNBA Finals

Oct 3, 2011 - 5:09 AM Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Rebekkah Brunson scored a playoff career- high 26 points as the Minnesota Lynx took an 88-74 victory over the Atlanta Dream in the opening game of the WNBA Finals.

Brunson shot 10-of-15 from the floor and added 11 rebounds as the Lynx took the first test of the best-of-five series between the two highest-scoring teams in these playoffs.

Seimone Augustus scored 22 points with seven assists, while Lindsay Whalen and rookie of the year Maya Moore posted 15 and 11 points, respectively.

Angel McCoughtry posted 33 points for the Dream, who lost to Seattle in the finals last year.

Lindsey Harding added 20 points and five assists for Atlanta.

Atlanta held an 18-14 lead at the end of the first and led by 12 a little after 3 1/2 minutes into the second before Minnesota came to life, reeling off a 9-2 run.

"We felt good but we knew this team was good enough to come back and make runs," Harding said.

A Jessica Adair layup before the half pulled the Lynx within 39-36, and the teams were tied at 62 as they entered the fourth quarter. But Minnesota scored the first 13 points of the frame to take a commanding 75-62 lead.

Atlanta managed to get its deficit down to nine a couple times, but that was as close as it got as the Lynx were in control for the remainder of the game, leading by as many as 14 in the final stanza.

"It took us a little while to get going," said Whalen. "In the fourth quarter we put a little run together. We thought we played a little more aggressively in the second half."