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Dupree's bucket boosts Phoenix into West finals

Sep 20, 2011 - 4:57 AM Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Candice Dupree's put-back with 1.9 seconds left off a Penny Taylor miss lifted Phoenix over defending WNBA champion Seattle, 77-75, in the decisive Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

Dupree netted 20 points and Taylor added 19 with 17 rebounds for the Mercury, who will play either San Antonio or Minnesota in the West finals. The series between the Silver Stars and Lynx is going to a Game 3 Tuesday night.

Diana Taurasi had 19 points, but fouled out of the game with 6:38 left. The Mercury still had the answers offensively and was buoyed by a 22-of-23 performance at the foul line.

Sue Bird had 22 points, Lauren Jackson 18 and Tanisha Wright 17 for the Storm, who lost the final two games and blew an 18-point lead in this one.

Taylor's driving layup gave the visitors a two-point lead with 33.7 seconds left, but Bird's jumper from the left side with 14 seconds to go, just after a Wright miss, evened the score.

Seattle, which was out of timeouts after Dupree's bucket, never got off a final shot.

Already up 20-9 after the first quarter, the Storm pushed the margin to 29-11 in the second. The difference was 39-30 at the half. The Mercury tied it three times in the third, but didn't move in front until 60-59 on Dupree's jumper with 6:56 remaining.