The Indiana Fever went on a terrific offensive display, torching the Chicago Sky to take Game 3, 100-89 and advance to their fifth consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance after winning the series, 2-1.
Tamika Catchings led the way with another memorable outing, finishing with 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists to topscore for the Fever, which had all five players in double-digit scoring.
Now for the takeaways:
How can you not love Tamika Catchings?
Catchings is just legendary. Already the postseason leader in almost every basic statistical category, the forward achieved another milestone as she eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in her career playoff total.
A champion and multiple member of the All-WNBA and All-Defensive teams through the course of a celebrated career, Catchings knows how it's like to be pitted in a do-or-die situation and she once again delivered in a big way.
And the way she did it is what makes it more amazing; I have never seen someone as calm and collected as she is, and Michael Cooper had the right description when he said Catchings' leadership just pushes the Fever to another level.
When you see your leader doing stuff like that, you push yourself and you go the extra mile to complement what she does. Shenise Johnson had a playoff career-high 22 points; Briann January had 10 points and 8 assists while Erlana Larkins and Marissa Coleman combined for 35.
Catchings' approach is simply taking it day by day, minute after minute, knowing her stay in the WNBA is already numbered and yet at the end of the game, she puts up colossal numbers and leads her team.
It's already in her DNA to do that. The winning attitude is amazing, and she has been doing this for over a decade. The career she put up is something that will never be replicated by the ordinary.
During the post-game press conference, Catchings added she is just savoring the moment. So do we, and we will miss her when she calls it quits.
The Fever showed the importance of a well-constructed team
The Fever's three-point shooting and spacing were difference-makers in the clincher. Entering the post-season, Indiana is the best three-point shooting team and in Game 3, they shot 10-for-20 from long range.
Most of those threes are assisted as a result of kick-out passes after dribble-penetrations. The pick and rolls with Larkins and a ball handler were devastating and forced the Sky to collapse on defense.
The ball kept moving well for the Fever and is where they capitalized. The Fever assisted 24 of 37 field goal makes, showing the importance of sticking to a system.
Sky's missing pieces were exposed
The Fever exposed the Sky's lack of a rim protector and a handful of perimeter defenders with the game they had.
The Sky simply tried to match the Fever fire for fire, going with a unit of Delle Donne, joined by guards Cappie Pondexter, Courtney Vandersloot, and Allie Quigley.
It was all offense for that lineup, but the defensed suffered. The Fever's defense was also just enough to prevent the Sky from running what they wanted from the get-go.
In the future, if the Sky wants to add to their success, they will need those pieces.
#FeverWin! Indiana advances to the conference finals for the fifth straight season.
Final score: #Fever 100, Sky 89 pic.twitter.com/bSSzcNIS3Z
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 22, 2015
The win included negating Elena Delle Donne's 40-point eruption (on 15-for-22 field goal shooting), a playoff career-high.Tamika Catchings led the way with another memorable outing, finishing with 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists to topscore for the Fever, which had all five players in double-digit scoring.
Now for the takeaways:
How can you not love Tamika Catchings?
.@Catchin24 is now the first player in @WNBA history to score 1,000+ points in the playoffs. #WeAreFever pic.twitter.com/UNyQiZOW94
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 22, 2015
Catchings is just legendary. Already the postseason leader in almost every basic statistical category, the forward achieved another milestone as she eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in her career playoff total.
A champion and multiple member of the All-WNBA and All-Defensive teams through the course of a celebrated career, Catchings knows how it's like to be pitted in a do-or-die situation and she once again delivered in a big way.
And the way she did it is what makes it more amazing; I have never seen someone as calm and collected as she is, and Michael Cooper had the right description when he said Catchings' leadership just pushes the Fever to another level.
When you see your leader doing stuff like that, you push yourself and you go the extra mile to complement what she does. Shenise Johnson had a playoff career-high 22 points; Briann January had 10 points and 8 assists while Erlana Larkins and Marissa Coleman combined for 35.
Catchings' approach is simply taking it day by day, minute after minute, knowing her stay in the WNBA is already numbered and yet at the end of the game, she puts up colossal numbers and leads her team.
It's already in her DNA to do that. The winning attitude is amazing, and she has been doing this for over a decade. The career she put up is something that will never be replicated by the ordinary.
During the post-game press conference, Catchings added she is just savoring the moment. So do we, and we will miss her when she calls it quits.
The Fever showed the importance of a well-constructed team
The Fever's three-point shooting and spacing were difference-makers in the clincher. Entering the post-season, Indiana is the best three-point shooting team and in Game 3, they shot 10-for-20 from long range.
Most of those threes are assisted as a result of kick-out passes after dribble-penetrations. The pick and rolls with Larkins and a ball handler were devastating and forced the Sky to collapse on defense.
The ball kept moving well for the Fever and is where they capitalized. The Fever assisted 24 of 37 field goal makes, showing the importance of sticking to a system.
Sky's missing pieces were exposed
The Fever exposed the Sky's lack of a rim protector and a handful of perimeter defenders with the game they had.
The Sky simply tried to match the Fever fire for fire, going with a unit of Delle Donne, joined by guards Cappie Pondexter, Courtney Vandersloot, and Allie Quigley.
It was all offense for that lineup, but the defensed suffered. The Fever's defense was also just enough to prevent the Sky from running what they wanted from the get-go.
In the future, if the Sky wants to add to their success, they will need those pieces.
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