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Braxton Puts Up Career-High 26 In Shock Win
Posted Monday, June 30, 2008
 Detroit's Katie Smith (30) drives past Atlanta's Katie Feenstra (center) and Betty Lennox (left). Photo by Lynn Gregg. |
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -The winless Atlanta Dream came into the Palace of Auburn Hills Sunday night hoping for their first win, but the Detroit Shock have yet to lose at home this season, and they had beaten the Dream on both prior meetings. Although Atlanta put up a fight, in the end the Dream succumbed to the powerful Shock on Sunday, 100-92.
Atlanta did fight hard the whole game and made the Shock work for the win, but Atlanta’s disadvantage on the inside led to a whopping 48-10 differential on points in the paint, and the Shock showed their experience and poise in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.
Atlanta started the game off strong, shooting over 50 percent from the floor and knocking down four from beyond the arc. Atlanta led 24-21 after the first. Rookie Tamera Young added nine in the quarter and looked good for Atlanta. Young finished with a team-high 26 and former Shock player Ivory Latta had 18.
"They rebounded well and we didn't have our rotations right," Young said of the Shock. "They executed their offense."
The second quarter was a high-scoring one, and the two teams headed into the locker room all tied up at 51.
In the third and fourth quarters Kara Braxton started to heat up for the Shock. She scored 18 in the second half and had several big baskets that lifted Detroit to a third-quarter lead that lasted the rest of the game.
"We knew we were down some players, so we all had to step up," Braxton said. "It took us a while to get into it, but once we got into a flow we put all the pieces together."
Braxton had a career-high 26 points in only 25 minutes of play. Katie Smith added 24 and Deanna Nolan had 18 points and tied her career-high with 11 assists.
“That’s the best game she’s played in 3 years,” head coach Bill Laimbeer said. [Kara] had the patience out there and she gutted it out through her tiredness.”
For Atlanta, Betty Lennox scored 11 in the third quarter and finished with 22 and eight rebounds.
But Atlanta’s success was plagued by turnovers throughout the game and some careless play with the basketball. They had 18 turnovers, leading to 25 Detroit points. They did shoot the ball extremely well from beyond the arc, hitting 14-for-28. The 3s kept the game close, giving Atlanta a chance at the end. The Dream landed six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter alone and got as close as 88-85 before Detroit pulled away for good.
“We were getting tired in the second half but we were still competing hard, so give us credit for that,” Laimbeer said. “They were trying to push it on us and they were being successful.”
Detroit was playing without All-Star Cheryl Ford or last year’s Sixth Woman of the Year, Plenette Pierson. Pierson is day-to-day with a right knee strain and Ford is also resting a sore knee but is expected to play in the team’s next game at San Antonio on Monday, July 30.
The Detroit win improves its record to 12-5; 7-0 at home. Atlanta falls to 0-15, increasing the league record for consecutive losses.
Atlanta’s next opportunity to get its first win will be on Tuesday, July 1st when they host Phoenix.
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