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Nolan, Shock continue to baffle Fever

Sep 20, 2008 - 2:48 AM INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- It's a different year but the same old story for the Indiana Fever.

Deanna Nolan scored 22 points and Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 17 as the Detroit Shock turned aside the Fever yet again, 81-72, in the Game One of their first-round playoff series.

Plenette Pierson scored 11 points off the bench for Detroit, which has eliminated Indiana from the playoffs each of the last two postseasons. The Shock will get a chance to make it three in a row in Game Two of the best-of-three series in Detroit on Sunday.

The win was Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer's 21st playoff victory - the most in the 11-year history of the league.

Tamika Catchings and Ebony Hoffman each scored 19 points for the Fever, who have lost 10 of the last 13 meetings between the teams.

Nolan scored 11 in the first half in leading the Shock to a 39-29 advantage at the break. Detroit carried a 62-50 lead into the final period and never looked back.

Indiana, which won five of its last seven games to record a fourth straight playoff berth, trailed by double digits the entire fourth quarter until a late rally.