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Augustus, Lynx take 2-0 lead over Dream

Oct 9, 2013 - 2:34 AM Minneapolis, MN (SportsNetwork.com) - Seimone Augustus had 20 points and the Minnesota Lynx moved within a win of their second WNBA title in three years with an 88-63 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday night.

The Lynx have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series with Game 3 scheduled for Thursday in Atlanta.

All four Minnesota starters scored in double figures and the team shot 56.9 percent. Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen had 14 points apiece, Rebekkah Brunson scored 12 points with 10 rebounds and Janel McCarville had 11 points.

Angel McCoughtry scored 15 points to lead Atlanta and Jasmine Thomas had 11.

The Dream's biggest lead was 4-0. Their last advantage was 6-4.

It was the second lopsided win in a row for the Lynx, who took Game 1 84-59. The Lynx, in the finals for the third straight year, beat Atlanta in 2011 for their first WNBA championship.

Augustus and Whalen scored 13 points apiece in the first half and the Lynx built a 51-36 lead at the break on 62.5 percent shooting.

Whalen had five of those points during an 11-2 run that turned an 18-14 Lynx lead late in the first quarter into a 29-16 advantage early in the second. McCarville had the other six.

A 7-0 Dream run, sparked by four straight points by McCoughtry, trimmed a 15- point deficit to eight points later in the second, but Minnesota stretched it back to 15 by halftime behind Augustus and Whalen.

After Atlanta cut it to 10 points, Moore's driving baseline layup highlighted an 8-0 Minnesota run for a 65-47 lead.

The Lynx led 68-52 going into the fourth quarter and their advantage never dipped below 12.