Lynx rebound to force fifth game

LOS ANGELES — Sylvia Fowles and the Minnesota Lynx weren’t about to let their season end in Los Angeles.

The WNBA MVP helped the Lynx force a decisive fifth game in the WNBA Finals by scoring 22 points and grabbing 14 rebounds as Minnesota beat Los Angeles 80-69 on Sunday night. It’s the second consecutive year that these two teams will play a deciding game in Minnesota for the crown.

“Advantage? No, we’re back in Game 5. We wanted to make sure we came out and we played well,” Fowles said.

Minnesota, which is trying for its fourth title in seven years, dominated inside the paint with baskets and rebounds. Minnesota outrebounded the Sparks 48-28. The Sparks had outrebounded the Lynx in Game 3, and that was a point of emphasis for the team to be more physical inside. Odyssey Sims led the Sparks

with 18 points and Nneka Ogwumike added 17. No Sparks player recorded 10 or more rebounds.

Candace Parker, who finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, and the Sparks are hoping to become the league’s first repeat champion since Los Angeles in 2002.

Facing an end to their season, the Lynx were aggressive from the start, grabbing a lot of loose balls and dominating the glass. They trailed 10-8 before scoring 11 straight points in the first quarter.

The Lynx, who never led in Game 3, built as much as a 19-point lead in the third quarter. The Sparks rallied, but could never get closer than eight points late in the fourth quarter.

“I just love the way we competed for 40 minutes,” said Lynx forward Maya Moore, who scored 15 points and eight rebounds. “Everybody was really locked in and trying to be the aggressor the whole time. We didn’t play a perfect game, but did enough to beat a really good Sparks team on the road.”