BEST BET: Indiana -1
The Fever and former Mystic Nikki McCray go for revenge tonite against a Washington team who slaughtered them 89-68 earlier this season. The difference tonight is that WA has to play without Chamique Holdsclaw who is sidelined for another few games with an ankle injury.
IMO Indiana is better than their 6-8 record indicates; they played a brutal schedule during the first month with 10 of 15 games on the road. After a couple of days off, IND now begins an 8 game 3-week homestand in which they need to do well. Indiana opened the season 4-2 but then all of the road games seemed to take their toll as they've only won two of their last nine (7 of those 9 games were on the road).
Washington without Holdsclaw is not the same team: the Mystics have won the last two without their star but I'm less than impressed with the quality of those wins: they beat CHA by one at home (but CHA can't play on the road) and they beat MN by one on the road (but MN was without Tamika Williams for most of the game).
In the earlier game vs IND, the Mystics shot lights out: a franchise record 60% from the field. It was Holdsclaw's first game back after the death of her grandmother and she was obviously playing at a "higher" level: 12-18 from the field for 27 total points and 7 rebounds. Washington's home court advantage is also #3 in the league which obviously helped the Mystics.
I don't see WA shooting 60% again in this re-match and I think IND will take advantage of their home court to exact a little revenge on the Mystics without Holdsclaw.
gl
- Jon
The Fever and former Mystic Nikki McCray go for revenge tonite against a Washington team who slaughtered them 89-68 earlier this season. The difference tonight is that WA has to play without Chamique Holdsclaw who is sidelined for another few games with an ankle injury.
IMO Indiana is better than their 6-8 record indicates; they played a brutal schedule during the first month with 10 of 15 games on the road. After a couple of days off, IND now begins an 8 game 3-week homestand in which they need to do well. Indiana opened the season 4-2 but then all of the road games seemed to take their toll as they've only won two of their last nine (7 of those 9 games were on the road).
Washington without Holdsclaw is not the same team: the Mystics have won the last two without their star but I'm less than impressed with the quality of those wins: they beat CHA by one at home (but CHA can't play on the road) and they beat MN by one on the road (but MN was without Tamika Williams for most of the game).
In the earlier game vs IND, the Mystics shot lights out: a franchise record 60% from the field. It was Holdsclaw's first game back after the death of her grandmother and she was obviously playing at a "higher" level: 12-18 from the field for 27 total points and 7 rebounds. Washington's home court advantage is also #3 in the league which obviously helped the Mystics.
I don't see WA shooting 60% again in this re-match and I think IND will take advantage of their home court to exact a little revenge on the Mystics without Holdsclaw.
gl
- Jon
