Liberty Puts Shock One Loss From Elimination
DETROIT — Elena Baranova scored 17 points to lead the New York Liberty to a 75-62 victory over the Detroit Shock in Game 1 of their first-round WNBA playoff series.
The loss means that the defending champion Shock will have to win Sunday and Tuesday at New York to avoid being eliminated in the best-of-three series.
“I think our team is embarrassed,†Detroit Coach Bill Laimbeer said. “We did not get the effort we expected, and that was disturbing.â€
New York tied a franchise playoff record by making nine of its 16 three-point shots. Deanna Nolan led the Shock with 20 points. Ruth Riley had only eight points and four rebounds.
“I think we probably should have mixed up our defense in the second half and given them a different look,†Nolan said. “They hit all those threes down the stretch and it just killed us.â€
The game was played at Joe Louis Arena because of a scheduling conflict at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
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