Lynx Pounce on Sparks

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Sylvia Fowles had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Renee Montgomery scored a season-high 20 points, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 88-77 on Thursday night in a rematch of the WNBA Finals.

Los Angeles won the title last year, taking the deciding fifth game in Minnesota on Nneka Ogwumike's short jumper with 3.1 seconds left.

On Thursday, Minnesota (13-1) was ahead by 19 points in the first half, but Los Angeles (12-4) cut it to 53-49 midway through the third quarter. The Sparks had won eight straight.

Plenette Pierson's open 3-pointer from the wing with 7:31 left gave Minnesota the first double-digit lead of the fourth quarter. Fowles made a layup for an 84-77 lead with 1:23 to go and after a Los Angeles turnover, Rebekkah Brunson followed her own miss for a nine-point lead.

Seimone Augustus added 16 points for Minnesota (13-1), and Maya Moore had 10 to move past Asjha Jones for 30th in WNBA history with 4,007.

Ogwumike had 27 points and 14 rebounds for Los Angeles. Candace Parker was scoreless in the first half and her only points came on a fast-break layup with 6:26 left in the third quarter. It was only her second game this season scoring under 10 points.