The Portland Fire let a 16-point lead slip away before narrowly escaping the Seattle Storm, 84-82, on Friday night.
The game did feature a standout performance from Holly Winterburn. In the four games leading up to Friday, the Oregon rookie averaged just four points per game. On Friday, Winterburn erupted for 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the first half, igniting the Fire’s offense. She finished with a career-high 20 points and five assists.
In the first quarter, Portland went on a 19-9 run to take a 26-19 lead at the end of the period. Winterburn, who came off the bench, scored 16 of Portland’s 26 first-quarter points.
Seattle cut the deficit to one possession in the second quarter, but the Fire closed the half on a 12-2 run to take a 48-36 lead into the break.
The Storm then opened the second half on a 10-2 run, cutting Portland’s lead to four points. Seattle never let Portland pull away, bringing the crowd to its feet in the final seconds as the game tightened to a one-point margin. A timely offensive rebound by Winterburn in the closing seconds helped give the Fire the advantage and seal the win.
The Fire are five and a half games behind the final playoff spot after Dallas lost to Indiana, 98-87, on Friday evening.
Next Up
The Fire travel to Phoenix to take on the Mercury on Sunday at 4 p.m.