| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
NEW YORK -- The New York Liberty made this first-half
knockout stick.
Tari Phillips and Crystal Robinson combined for 18 points during
an early 30-2 run as the New York Liberty beat the Cleveland
Rockers 81-67 on Monday night to advance to the WNBA finals for the
third time in four years.
|  | | New York's Tamika Whitmore (44) looks for help past Cleveland's Chasity Melvin (28) on her way to a 19-point performance. |
In the second game of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday, New
York jumped out to a 24-7 lead after a 19-0 run, but had to hold on
to earn a five-point victory.
"We knew that they could make a comeback," captain Teresa
Weatherspoon said. "We didn't want to come out and have the same
second half that we had yesterday."
The Liberty will face the Houston Comets for the WNBA title.
"We were very proud of ourselves because of what we had to go
through the entire season with nobody believing in us and here we
are again," Weatherspoon said. "We're very happy with what we've
accomplished, but we haven't accomplished anything yet -- our
ultimate goal."
The best-of-three series opens Thursday night in Madison Square
Garden, where the Liberty have won 13 consecutive games. Game 2 and
Game 3, if necessary, will be played in Houston.
The Comets, the only champion in the league's four-year history,
beat New York in the one-game final in 1997 and again last year in
the last game of a three-game series.
"We began this season with a slogan that we had unfinished
business that we had to do because last year we came up short one
game," Liberty coach Richie Adubato said. "Now we have an
opportunity to continue toward our goal."
After New York's Becky Hammon and Cleveland's Suzie McConnell
Serio traded 3-pointers to open the scoring, Phillips scored 10
points and Robinson added eight as the Liberty shot out to a 33-5
lead with 8:57 left in the first half.
"Basketball is made up of a game of runs and the team that is
able to stop the runs is the team that wins," said New York
forward Tamika Whitmore, who led all scorers with 19 points. "I
think they let our run go a little too long. They got in a hole
they couldn't dig themselves out."
Vickie Johnson, playing on a sore right ankle that she injured
Sunday, added 14 points and 10 assists.
McConnell Serio had 13 points in her final game. The 34-year-old
mother of four announced she would retire following the
season. She left with 1:10 remaining and received hugs from her
coaches and teammates as the crowd gave her a large ovation.
"I was disappointed that we didn't make it to the finals,"
McConnell Serio said. "That was my dream of ending my career in
the WNBA championship games. I was very proud of this team with the
slow start that we had in the first half, we never quit until the
final buzzer."
Merlakia Jones also had 13 points for the Rockers.
Chasity Melvin, Cleveland's third-leading scorer in the
playoffs, picked up four fouls in the first eight minutes and only
had three points.
Cleveland, which won the opener of the Eastern Conference finals
at home, rallied for the second consecutive game but again couldn't
overcome a big deficit.
The Rockers trailed 46-27 at halftime and scored the first six
points of the second half to close to 46-33 with 17:04 left. But
Whitmore and Johnson had four points each during a 10-0 run as New
York extended the lead to 56-33 at 14:12.
McConnell Serio hit a 3-pointer with 5:42 left to make it 67-52
and start another Cleveland run. Rushia Brown followed with a layup
and McConnell Serio made another jumper to cut it to 67-56 with
5:07 left.
After Whitmore bulled inside for the Liberty, McConnell Serio
hit another 3-pointer to make it 69-59 with 2:59 left. Hammon
scored six points in the final three minutes as New York closed out
the victory, punctuated by confetti and fireworks.
| |
ALSO SEE
WNBA Scoreboard
Comets, Liberty battle a third time for WNBA title
Comets make clean sweep of Sparks, return to finals
WNBA playoff schedule
RECAPS
New York 81
Cleveland 67
AUDIO/VIDEO
 New York's Tamika Whitmore splits the defenders for the basket and foul.
avi: 863 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Tari Phillips is on the receiving end of a Teresa Weatherspoon pass.
avi: 964 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
|
