In the third game of the series, the Storm were defeated in an overtime game. There is a time and a place for it.
Las Vegas took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five semifinal when they beat Seattle in overtime on Sunday after the teams played to a 2-2 tie in the first game.
"This was one of the best games I've ever been a part of," Las Vegas coachBecky Hammon said. I'm not sure if I've ever been a part of that. There were big shots from both sides.
Seattle had opened up a four-point lead after Loyd made a pair of free throws with less than a second to go. After Tina Charles missed two free throws on the Storm's next possession, the Aces had a chance to take the lead after Riquna Williams hit a 3-pointer.
A'ja Wilson gave Las Vegas a 90-89 lead with a spinning basket in the paint. Sue Bird, playing her final season after announcing her retirement, made what looked like the game-winning 3-pointer from the corner in the final seconds of the game.
Young scored at the end of overtime to force the extra session.
"I think that this was the game where there were so many back-and-forths -- oh they're going to win it, oh no they're going to win it, now we're going to overtime," Gray said. playoffs are all about that." It felt great.
There had never before been a case of a team making three go-ahead or game-tying shots in the final three seconds of the game. In the past 25 NBA playoffs, it has not happened.
The shocking finish to the fourth quarter probably had an effect on the outcome of the game.
"We said in the huddle that we're in a good spot," Gray said. It was deflating to the home team that we need to go into overtime. We were locked in for a short time.
The only one who was more locked in was Gray. 18 points was the most ever scored in a playoff overtime.
Wilson had a new career high of 34 points in the second game of the series.
Adding in Gray's 12 assists, she was responsible for 59 of the team's total points. Wilson, who played all 45 minutes, contributed 11 rebound for her second consecutive 30 10 game in the playoffs, tying the record for most in a single season.
The Storm were left disappointed after Las Vegas moved a win away from returning to the finals.
Bird said that they lost the game when they were up four with not much time left. They scored five points in three seconds when they took the lead. To me, that's where we let this one go. The last plays are going to stick out because they are dramatic and exciting, but we were up four.
Stewart said that they had the game and gave it to them.
Seattle couldn't use the foul it gave in the fourth quarter. The team discussed potentially fouling on the inbound play, which started with 0.8 seconds on the clock, but the pass going directly to Young in the shooting motion made that impossible without risking a three-point play that could have allowed Las Vegas to win in regulation.
Bird stated that she made the basket. There was no magic that occurred.
Wilson traveled on her go-ahead score in the final seconds of the game, which would have given Seattle the ball back with a one-point lead, according to the Storm's coach.
The game was memorable for both the dramatic outcome and the quality of play.
It was high-level basketball. "Neither side."
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