New York Liberty gain their revenge with blowout win at Moda

Two nights after getting beat at the buzzer by the Portland Fire, the New York Liberty got their revenge Thursday night with a 100-82 win over the Fire. The Fire started the game strong, opening up a 19-12 lead late in the first quarter on a 3-pointer by Nyadiew Puoch. Megan Gustafson cut through the lane for a layup to put the Fire ahead 27-18 early in the second quarter. But New York scored the next 11 points to move in front. The teams would trade the lead nine times in the first half before Betnijah Hamilton beat the clock with a layup to send the Liberty into the locker room with a 39-37 edge. New York pulled away with a 10-point run in the third quarter, and a series of free throws sent the Liberty into the fourth quarter with a 17-point lead. That margin would grow to as many as 22 points down the stretch, as Portland never threatened. Gustafson came off the bench to hit 5-of-6 (83.3%) shots and lead the Fire with 14 points. New York’s Breanna Stewart finished with a game-high 22 points. “I think we got significantly better in these two games, even though that may not show on the scoreboard today,” Fire coach Alex Sarama said. Portland is at home against the Connecticut Sun at 7 p.m. Monday.