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Fever edge Shock, force deciding game

Sep 21, 2008 - 10:01 PM AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) -- The Indiana Fever's misfortunes against the imposing top-seeded Detroit Shock may have taken a turn for the better - barely.

Tamika Catchings had 27 points and 10 rebounds as the Fever held off the Shock, 89-82, in overtime in Game Two of their Eastern Conference semifinal series at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Sunday.

Indiana kept Detroit from bouncing it from the postseason for the third straight year and forced a deciding third game, which is scheduled for Tuesday in Detroit.

Facing elimination, the fourth-seeded Fever also got 15 points and 12 rebounds from Ebony Hoffman en route to knocking off a team that went 14-3 at home in the regular season, including 10-0 against Eastern Conference opponents.

Detroit guard Deanna Nolan made a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score at 75-75 and force overtime, when the Fever would come alive.

Hoffman drilled a key 3-pointer with 1:29 left to give Indiana an 82-79 advantage, one it wouldn't relinquish. Tully Bevilaqua followed with another shot from the arc 36 seconds later to put the game away.

The Shock swept the Fever in the same round in 2006 en route to their second WNBA title, and then won the final two games of last year's conference finals matchup between the teams.

Counting those two victories and Friday's win in the opener, Detroit had won six straight against Indiana, including a 90-68 victory in the most recent meeting at the Palace on September 5.

Katie Smith scored 15 points and Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 14 to pace Detroit, which erased a nine-point deficit going into the fourth quarter.