The Portland Fire defeated the Atlanta Dream in impressive fashion on Saturday afternoon, 102-92. Center Megan Gustafson led the Fire with 17 points. She was joined by six teammates in double figures. Forward Emily Engstler kept the boards clean with 11 rebounds, earning a double-double with 15 points as well. Point guard Carla Leite had a double-double of her own with 10 assists and 13 points. Alisha Gray claimed scoring honors in a losing effort for the Dream with 20.
The Fire caught a break in
that Angel Reese was unavailable after suffering a leg injury against the Seattle Storm on on Thursday. Sarah Ashlee Barker was unavailable for selection for Portland.
Early on it looked like the game was going to be a battle. Point guard Carla Leite was dishing early for the Fire, picking up 5 assists in the first quarter. On the other end, the Fire were having difficulty defending the lane. The Dream were able to build a seven-point first quarter lead, largely off of turnovers. The Fire characteristically fought back with penetration and kicking out on the offensive end, scrappy defense on the other. The Dream lead wouldn’t last long as the Fire fought back, finishing the first quarter with a 25-23 lead.
The Fire kept up their good play and were able to extend the lead in the second quarter. They finished up seven at the half, 51-44. The inevitable Dream run came after a few minutes had elapsed in the third, with a few three-pointers finally finding the bottom of the net. Atlanta came all the way back to take a narrow lead. It felt like the Dream were in prime position to take this one, but Portland said not so fast. A late-third-quarter Portland run saw the Fire go up 83-75 at the horn. They kept it up into a physical fourth quarter. Portland never let it get closer than six in the fourth, and they held off Atlanta for an excellent win.
Here are some observations from the game.
Good fundamental basketball
There was a lot to like with many of the Fire’s offensive sets. It’s a credit to Coach Alex Sarama that we’ve been able to see what Portland is trying to do on the offensive end all season, even if it always hasn’t come off. Today, not only could you see the intent, but it happened just like the coaches drew it up on the chalkboard. There were pretty pick-and-pops and pick-and-rolls, especially in the first three quarters. Things got a bit more chaotic in the fourth quarter, but it’s pleasing to see the execution continue to improve as the season goes on.
Points in the paint
The Fire trailed significantly in points in the paint, 52-40. Give them credit though, they battled tooth-and-nail and overcame on the scoreboard. It’s worth keeping in mind that Atlanta is top in the league in that category, so falling behind here was to be expected. Portland’s ongoing problems do reflect an area that’s ripe for improvement.
Three point shooting
If you are looking for a simple explanation for why the Fire won, here you go. They scored 42 points on 48.3% shooting from three, while the Dream had only 18 points on 20%. That will get the job done.
Gustafson’s hands
This is nothing new, but my goodness does center Megan Gustafson have great hands. She often not tallest player on the court, and she usually plays against centers with a better vertical leap. If you can get the ball anywhere where she gets a hand to it first, she almost always comes down with it. Teammates made a few silly passes that Gustafson found a way to reel in, sometimes when it seemed impossible. If you’ve been watching the Blazers over the last few years, there are a few guys on that squad who could learn from Gustafson.
Serah Williams
Williams had a massive contribution for the Fire today. She had a career-high 15 points on perfect shooting from the floor. She did not miss from the free throw line either. More impressive, she did it all in just over 13 minutes of playing time. This could be big for Portland if she starts putting up lines like that on the regular.
Up Next
The Fire will head north to New England to take on the Connecticut Sun in a bizarre 8:00 AM PDT start on Tuesday.
