Lynx nearly squander 29-point lead, hold on for 85-81 win over Fire

Napheesa Collier had 20 points and nine rebounds, Kayla McBride scored 19 points and the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx nearly squandered a 29-point lead before holding off the Portland Fire 85-81 on Wednesday night.

Minnesota built a big lead by starting the second quarter on a 23-4 run for a 49-27 edge. The Lynx extended the lead to 64-35 — their largest of the game — with 8:16 left in the third.

Portland rallied by scoring the opening 13 points of the fourth — capping a 29-4 run spanning the third-quarter break — to get within 68-64. The Fire had a chance to tie it at 78 with 1:44 remaining, but Emily Engstler went 1 of 2 at the free throw line to keep it a one-point deficit.

McBride made a driving layup with 1:25 remaining for an 80-77 lead, and neither team scored again until Minnesota's Olivia Miles sank two free throws with 26.5 seconds left for a five-point lead.

Minnesota (28-7), which has already clinched a playoff berth, has won 13 of its last 14 games.

Miles finished with 13 points and Natasha Howard had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Minnesota. McBride, coming off a career-high 43-point performance with 10 3-pointers on Sunday, made three of Minnesota's six 3-pointers.

Bridget Carleton led Portland (13-20) by scoring 16 points against her former team. Megan DiLeo added 12 points and Teja Oblak had 11 points, six rebounds and nine assists.

Portland had 10 players score in the first half, but none of them had more than four points.

Up next

Lynx: At Las Vegas on Saturday.

Fire: At Seattle on Friday.