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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Lynx were backed into a corner after a Game 1 loss on their home floor to the star-studded Los Angeles Sparks.No time to panic for this battle-tested group. The defending champions know just how to respond.Maya Moore had 21 points and 12 rebounds to help the Lynx even the WNBA Finals at one game apiece with a 79-60 victory in Game 2 on Tuesday night.This team bounces back well. We cant stay down for too long, Moore said. And Im a part of that. I wanted to bring that energy and thats what I took on myself personally today.Sylvia Fowles had 13 points and 15 boards and Minnesota held Los Angeles to 32.9 percent shooting to bounce back from a last-second loss in Game 1. Seimone Augustus scored 14 points and Minnesota dominated on the glass, 46-32, to pull away.We played like this game was more important to them than it was to us and thats unfortunate, Sparks coach Brian Agler said. You dont get these opportunities often, so you have to play like you might not get this game back.Nneka Ogwumike had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Sparks, who head back home for the next two games in the best-of-five series. Candace Parker was quiet with six points on 3-for-12 shooting and the Sparks missed 17 of 20 3-pointers.The Lynx are trying to become the first back-to-back champions in the league since the Sparks repeated in 2002. A win in this series would also give Minnesota its fourth championship, which would tie the Lynx with the Houston Comets for most in league history.Last year the Lynx lost Game 1 at Target Center to the Indiana Fever, but rebounded to win that series in five games. But they know they face an even more capable challenger this year.We know what we needed to do, Augustus said. We watched the entire footage from Game 1 and saw where we made mistakes.Neither team led by more than five points during an air-tight Game 1 that Los Angeles won at the buzzer on a jumper from Alana Beard. The first 16 minutes of Game 2 were just as competitive, but Moore and the Lynx seized control in the final four minutes of the second quarter.After going scoreless in the first half of Game 1, Moore got rolling during a 17-3 blitz to close the period. She hit two 3s and a layup, then picked Parkers pocket and heaved a three-quarter length outlet to a streaking Lindsay Whalen for a three-point play and a 37-25 lead.Moore had 12 points in the first half and the Lynx took much better care of the ball after coughing it up 11 times in the first half of Game 1.The Sparks made things interesting with a 14-0 run in the third quarter that made the score 44-41, but Augustus and Moore took over in the fourth to turn back the charge.I think it had a lot to do with our effort, Ogwumike said. Not to say that we dont want it. But you get tired and muddled and youre not focusing on what youre doing, a lot of times confusion can seep in. And I think thats what happened.MVP DISAPPEARS: Ogwumike, the league MVP, scored just two points in the final period, and took just six shots in the entire game. Its a hard job. (Our post players) made it look easy, but its not, Moore said. Shes such an explosive player.REBOUNDING ADVANTAGE: The Lynx parlayed their edge on the glass into a 17-7 advantage in second-chance points. They shot a pedestrian 45 percent from the field, but had 13 offensive rebounds to create more opportunities. When the ball went up on the glass and a shot was taken on either end, they outworked us, Agler said.QUOTABLE: Now I know how Shaq felt in the NBA, -- Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve on the physical play on Fowles in the paint.RECORD RATING: The WNBA instituted a new playoff format this year that seeded teams based on record, not geography. It resulted in the two best teams during the regular season meeting in the finals despite both playing in the Western Conference. Game 1 drew an average audience of 597,000, the most-watched Game 1 ever on ABC, the network announced on Tuesday. It peaked with 693,000 viewers and was the most-watched Game 1 since 1998 broadcast across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2.UP NEXT: Game 3 is Friday in Los Angeles. Jeff Samardzija Jersey .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. Mel Ott Jersey . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. http://www.sfgiantsrookiestore.com/ .4 million title. Ryan Riess emerged with the title after a session in which he started behind, but used expert skill to gather the chips to his side amid the unpredictability of no-limit Texas Hold em. Riess put his final opponent Jay Farber all-in with an Ace-King. Custom San Francisco Giants Jerseys . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. Matt Williams Jersey .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon.Each and every second round series in the NBA Playoffs has produced a split of the first two games. The Five-Man Weave crew takes a look at which teams have the advantage going forward as best-of-seven becomes best-of-five and home court advantage shifts to the underdogs. 1. Oklahoma City vs Memphis Grizzlies - who wins and how many games? Tim Chisholm: Memphis in 6. While Kevin Durant has been terrific acting as a one-man show since Westbrooks injury, Memphis is too good a defensive team to not adapt to what OKC is trying to run, and at the end of the day the Grizzlies simply have more that they can throw at the Thunder than the Thunder have that they can throw at the Grizzlies. Itll be a fun, competitive series, but I gotta give this one to Memphis. Duane Watson: This series could have easily been the Western Conference Finals. How different would this be if Russell Westbrook was healthy? But hes not and Mike Conley is emerging as a top-level point guard in the NBA. The Grizz stole one in OKC and their defensive, grindhouse basketball in addition to their overall balance on the squad is too much for a Thunder squad that has gotten by for a while on the mere talent of Durant and Westbrook. They will continue to be outcoached and outplayed and fall to Memphis in six games. Josh Lewenberg: Thunder in 7. Generally the NBA playoffs are about two things: star power and defence. Thats what wins at this time of the year and thats precisely what makes this series – even without Russell Westbrook – so intriguing. Both teams were among the top four in defensive efficiency during the regular season but neither club has been especially imposing in the playoffs, where they rank in the middle of the pack in that category. Ultimately, Kevin Durant could and should be the difference maker in close games… and for the record, I expect this series to produce seven closely contested games. Mitch Ward: Im sticking to my guns and saying Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant is just that good. Its a gven that he is going to perform, so as long as Kevin Martin doesnt continue to pull complete disappearing acts (2-for-11 field goals and six points in Game 2 and OKC nearly still won) and Serge Ibaka steps up at least a little, I think this team should reach the Western Conference Finals. Durant doesnt need much help, but he still needs some. Thunder in 6. Will Strickland: Griz in 6. Mike Conley has made the leap in these playoffs, slaying Chris Paul in the first round. With no Russell Westbrook to contend with, Conley may have just become the closer the Grizzlies need vs OKC and thats said with utmost respect to Zack Randolph and Marc Gasol. 2. San Antonio vs Golden State - who wins and how many games? Chisholm: San Antonio in 7. The Warriors are the darlings of these NBA Playoffs and for good reason, but they are prone to late-game collapses and they cannot be assured of such torrid shooting from their backcourt all series long. San Antonio came into this series forcing Golden State into taking bad shots and the Warriors have simply hit them. It says here that the Spurs adjust to that reality and make it a lot harder for the Warriors to get space on their mid-range and long-range game. Watson: From the outset, I pegged the Spurs with their experience and depth to be too much for the young lions of Golden State, but the Splash Brothers - Steph Curry and Klay Thompson - are a match-up nightmare, averaging 44 points ppg between them in the Playoffs. Head Coach Mark Jackson has done an incredible job of motivating his team and getting the most out of his bench. He is also benefitting from the timely resurrection of Andrew Bogut. They almost won both games and are returning to the comfort of home. I like the Ws in 6... not that Im flip-flopping or anything. Lewenberg: Spurs in 6. Throughout the regular season, Raptors coach Dwane Casey reminded us how difficult it can be for an inexperienced team to close out games. Its especially difficult against elite, veteran competition in the playoffs. The Warriors are a talented young group paced by a point guard, in Steph Curry, who has proven to be a nightmare for opposing defences. To win this series theyll have to execute down the stretch, something theyve failed to do despite all their postseason success. They were remarkably fortunate to get away with a series of late-game lapses against the Nuggets but the Popovich-led Spurs are a different animal, evident in the Game 1 thriller. Ward: Golden State in 6. In each of the first two games, the Warriors have raced out to huge leads over the Spurs... in San Antonio! If not for a defensive meltdown in the final minutes of Game 1 and a complete zero to hero turn from Manu Ginobili, this series would be headed back to the Oracle 2-0 for Golden State. I think the Warriors defend home court, lose in San Antonio for Game 5 and then clinch at home. Strickland: Cant believe Im saying this... kinda, but... Golden State in 7. The Splash Brothers, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, are the engine that drive this high-powered sports car, but the presence of the former Human Injured Reserve List, Andrew Bogut, has been and will be vital to the Warriors taking that step toward the Western Conference Finals. Goldens State serious... They are more than Kid & Klaying! 3. Miami vs Chicago - who wins and how many games? Chisholm: Miami in 5. Chicago caught Miami out of rhythm and out of character in Game 1, and they should be commended for that, but, as Game 2 demonstrated, the Heat are capable of operating on a different level from Chicago simply by virtue of the fact that they are healthier and possess the greatest player of his generation. Chicago will do all they can to leave Miami bruised and battered, but they wont get another win off of them in these Playoffs. Watson: Derrick Rose is not walking through that door! But if he is, he wont be a difference maker. You cant miss the entire regular season and expect to be effective jumping back into the Playoffs, against the Heat no less. The game 1 defeat woke up LeBron and company, whom I expect to put a beating on the Bulls for the rest of the season, despite the heroic efforts of Noah, Robinson and Belinelli.dddddddddddd Miami will take this in 5 games. Lewenberg: Heat in 6. For 48 hours Miami trailed in a best-of-seven series. For 48 hours we experienced what it might feel like to have parity restored in our beloved NBA. It was a magical time. Then the Heat had to go and ruin it, crushing Chicago to the tune of a 115-78 Game 2 victory. Give the Bulls credit, theyre resilient and could conceivably steal another game against the defending champs. However, the reality has not changed. On occasion Miami is beatable, but in a seven-game series… I just dont see them going down. Ward: Heat in 6. Game 2 proved that the Heat are simply too much better than the Bulls for Chicago to have a realistic shot in this series, even if they did shock the Heat in Game 1. Ill give the Bulls credit for one more gutsy win at home, but even thats pretty unlikely. Too bad, I was really starting to enjoy the Nate Robinson takeover show. Strickland: Heat in 5. 4. New York vs Indiana - who wins and how many games? Chisholm: Indiana in 7. This is a tight series played by two teams with vastly different styles. The ultimate issue I see facing New York is that they generally need J.R. Smith to be on his game consistently if they want to take a best-of-seven series, and he still looks out of sorts since his one-game suspension in round one. Plus, if Amare Stoudemire comes back as anticipated, it is just as likely that he throws the teams rhythm into disarray and further weakens the teams defensive stopping power. Watson: Carmelo Anthony has to continue to keep shooting the ball well and sharing it if the Knicks have a chance to win this series. The same could be said for David West and Paul George on the Pacers side, as they go down, so does their squad. Amare returns to the line-up in Game 3, but he wont be much of a difference maker at this point. This series has become a bit of Jekyll & Hyde, with teams playing great from one and poorly to the next. Indiana hasnt been playing like the team that was challenging in the playoffs this time last year, so it will be Knicks in 7. Lewenberg: Pacers in 7. Two teams, two contrasting styles. The Pacers are a big, physical, defensive oriented club while the Knicks play a boom or bust style of basketball, launching from long range and relying heavily on a great, albeit inefficient scorer. Although postseason play tends to favour Indianas more dependable brand of basketball, the Pacers propensity for offensive lapses (see Tuesdays fourth quarter collapse) opens the door for Melo and company. Despite the expected return of Amare – who should be limited in terms of playing time and production – New Yorks fate rests on Melos shoulders. 39 per cent shooting wont get the job done. Ward: This is pretty much a toss-up for me. If the Knicks shooters can get (and stay) hot, they have the edge. But as they say, if you live by the three, you die by the three. If the Knicks go cold, the Pacers physicality can take over. Ultimately I see this series going the distance with Indiana eventually wearing down the Knicks. Pacers in 7. Strickland: New York in 7 tough games. Melo has to show and prove with a floundering Earl Smith, Jr. and will finally get his team to the Eastern Conference Finals with the oldest team in NBA history to face Miami. Joy! 5. Who has been the playoffs MVP thus far? Chisholm: There is no doubt that the chic answer is breakout star Stephen Curry, who has burst onto the scene in a very loud fashion. He is scoring better, and more efficiently, than he did in the regular season. Hes passing the ball better and hes proven to be the kind of player that opposing teams not only need to account for, but gear their defences toward stopping because traditional schemes dont account for his range or brazen shot selection. Watson: Hes averaging 33.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 6.4 apg. No, its not LeBron James, but Kevin Durant who has single-highhandedly carried the Thunder through the playoffs. Durant has done everything to make up for the loss of injured guard Russell Westbrook, filling the stat sheet and making clutch baskets, unfortunately it wont be enough to get the Thunder back to the NBA Finals. Lewenberg: Kevin Durant. Just because we expected this level of performance from KD after Westbrook went down doesnt make it any less impressive. Serge Ibaka has been a disappointment, Kevin Martin has produced inconsistently and Kendrick Perkins has become a punch line. All the while Durant has carried OKC in basically every way imaginable. His rebound rate is up, his assist percentage is higher than ever (regular season and playoffs) and hes still scoring with efficiency despite the increase in attempts with Westbrook sidelined. The Thunder will go as far as KD takes them… this is where he proves his worth. Ward: Kevin Durant. In the absence of the Robin to his Batman, Durant has put the Thunder on his back. The fact that the Thunder could lose one of the top-15 best players in the NBA and still be a legitimate contender in the playoffs speaks to just how good Durant is. His averages for the six games since Westbrook went down are just ridiculous: 35.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists. Ridiculous. Strickland: Steph Curry is must-see TV right now. His ability to create and score in a myriad of ways is almost disheartening for the Spurs trying to guard a man who looks like he should be playing in their kids middle school hoops tournaments. Nate Robinson is in the convo, especially with what he and the Bulls have done with spare parts and Carlos Boozer, but... Kevin Durant is on that radar as well. He alone will not be enough to overcome the Grizzlies. Gotta love this game!!! The Five-Man Weave is made up of TSN.ca Raptors blogger Tim Chisholm ( @timpchisholm), TSN Radio 1050 Raptors reporter Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050), Duane Watson (@sweetswatson) and Will Strickland (@WallStrizzle1) from TSN Radio 1050s 1-on-1 with Will and Duane, and TSN.ca NBA Editor Mitch Ward (@jmitchw). ' ' '