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Fever-Liberty Preview

Aug 31, 2010 - 7:42 PM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Indiana (21-13) at New York (22-12), 7:30 p.m. EDT

The New York Liberty haven't lost back-to-back games since early July, and if they can continue that trend, they'll be moving on to the Eastern Conference finals.

With their best-of-three series against the Indiana Fever tied, the Liberty will try to close things out and advance at home Wednesday night.

New York missed a chance to eliminate Indiana on Sunday, losing 75-67 to the defending Eastern Conference champion in its lowest-scoring game since a 57-54 win over Chicago on July 11.

The Liberty had been one of the league's hottest teams in August after winning 12 of 13 and were poised to clinch the series following an 85-73 win in Game 1 at home. However, they shot 36.8 percent overall and were outscored 21-8 in the first quarter.

"We could not put the ball in the hole," coach Anne Donovan said. "We had poor offense."

Cappie Pondexter scored 24 points and Essence Carson had 20, but Pondexter had only nine in the first half after being limited to two in the opening period.

Pondexter finished 8 of 22 from the field. A 48.3 percent shooter during the regular season, she is shooting 37.7 percent in the first two games of the playoffs.

The Liberty will try to be more effective Wednesday night as they look to advance out of the first round for the first time since 2008 after missing the postseason last year. New York hasn't lost consecutive games since road defeats to Phoenix and Seattle from July 3-6 and has won nine in a row at home.

Indiana snapped a four-game losing streak Sunday and hopes its defensive struggles are a thing of the past.

The Fever had the third-best scoring defense in the WNBA during the regular season, holding opponents to 74.1 points per game, but they allowed an average of 80.3 during the skid. However, that turned around Sunday, when they held New York to 3-of-15 shooting in the first quarter to tie their record for fewest points allowed in a quarter in a playoff game.

"We know we're capable of winning games," said Tamika Catchings, who had 17 points and 13 rebounds. "We know as a team how good of a team we are. We're a great team. We clean up some things, we'll be OK."

Catchings, who was selected as the league's defensive player of the year and earned the WNBA's sportsmanship award, recorded her 14th double-double in 30 career playoff games Sunday. She scored 18 in Game 1 but only had seven rebounds.

The winner of this series faces Atlanta in the conference finals.