The Portland Fire weren’t able to hold onto a lead on Thursday night, falling 94-91 to the Phoenix Mercury in the first game back after the long break due to international play. Portland led most of the game before falling behind in the fourth quarter. They were unable to retake the lead as the Mercury kept them at arm’s length throughout the final frame.
The Fire were without multiple starters in the contest as Bridget Carleton, Carla Leite and Megan DiLeo all sat out on a coach’s decision.
Portland
was led by 21 points from Emily Engstler and 18 points from Holly Winterburn off the bench. Karlie Samuelson and Serah Williams also found their way into double-digits with 14 and 10 points respectively.
Shay Ciezki came off the bench for Phoenix to lead the game in scoring with 22 points. She was supported by Alyssa Thomas’s 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in the game.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the contest:
First-Quarter Run
The Fire fell behind 20-14 early in the contest, but the final three and a half minutes of the opening quarter saw a flurry of baskets as they rattled off a 12-0 run to end the frame. It was a major turning point as the offense came alive. The run continued with a Jordan Harrison three-pointer to start the second quarter before the Mercury were finally able to find the bottom of the basket again.
Offense was not the only factor in that run. On the other end, multiple forced turnovers as well as strong shot contests became the driving force behind the easy offense. Defense led to transition opportunities and being able to attack Phoenix defenders who weren’t fully set.
Jordan Harrison
Rookie guard Jordan Harrison was tasked with running the point in Leite’s absence. She was able to fill the gap quite well. She recorded 8 points, 10 assists and 2 rebounds in the game. Those were accompanied by six turnovers as well, showing she still has room to grow into the role, but overall the performance was very promising.
Time and time again, Harrison was able to find a teammate for an easy score. Her capabilities became an important part of the lead that Portland held for most of the contest.
Hot From Deep
Both teams were firing on all cylinders tonight from behind the arc, leading to the high-scoring final. Portland made 12 of their 30 attempts from deep, good for 40.0% shooting, while Phoenix made 12 of their 25 attempts, a 48.0% clip. The shooting prowess of both teams was on full display as they traded makes from deep. At the end of the game, the Mercury shot a better percentage. That small difference mattered in such a tight game.
Turnover Battle
The Fire turned the ball over 18 times, a pretty high number. Phoenix turned it over 20 times themselves. However, despite the high turnover numbers, the advantage went to Portland, who managed to convert Mercury mistakes into 29 points off of turnovers. The Fire allowed just 14 points off of their own turnovers.
It wasn’t enough to get them over the finish line, but strong play on defense and in transition has become a core part of this team’s identity. It was nice to watch them succeed for much of this contest.
Up Next
Boxscore
The Fire are active again tomorrow as they face the Golden State Valkyries on the road on at 7:00 p.m. PST.
