Fever Rout Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to Force Game 3

Game Recap: Fever Rout Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to Force Game 3

A return home was just what the Indiana Fever needed. Playing in front of a loud and fiery Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd decked out in red “Now You Know” t-shirts, the Fever rolled to a 77-60 win over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday in Game 2 of their first round playoff series.

The victory forced a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday night in Atlanta.

The Fever never trailed on Tuesday. They used a 10-2 run in the second quarter to open up a 30-19 lead. The Dream climbed back within three early in the third quarter, but Indiana blew the game open by the end of the third quarter.

The Fever closed the frame with a 7-0 spurt, capped by an eventual sequence where Aliyah Boston scored in the post with 8.8 seconds remaining and then Shey Peddy stole the ensuing inbound. The Fever worked the ball around the perimeter to Lexie Hull on the left wing, who drained a three at the buzzer to put the hosts up 59-44.

Indiana extended its lead to as many as 24 points in the final frame, cruising to the franchise’s first playoff victory since the 2015 WNBA Finals.

All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 19 points and four assists, going 4-for-8 from 3-point range. Boston added 15 points, five boards, and three assists, while Natasha Howard tallied 12 points and five boards.

Te-Hina Paopao led Atlanta with 11 points off the bench, while All-Star forward Rhyne Howard scored 10 points in the loss. All-Star guard Allisha Gray had nine points and seven rebounds, but went just 4-for-16 from the field.

Game 3 will be on Thursday night at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN2. The winner will advance to face the winner of the Las Vegas-Seattle series in the semifinals.