WNBA Finals 2015: Indiana Fever vs. Minnesota Lynx Game 4 Score and Reaction

No amount of heroics from Maya Moore could save the Minnesota Lynx in Game 4 of the 2015 WNBA Finals. The Indiana Fever extended the best-of-five series with a 75-69 win Sunday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Indiana did a good job of forcing Moore to do it all on her own. She finished with 20 points on 8-of-20 shooting, including 2-of-8 from three-point range. Lindsay Whalen also chipped in 16 points, with her secondary scoring helping to keep the Lynx in the game.   

The Fever got contributions across the board, as Shenise Johnson, Marissa Coleman and Briann January scored 15, 14 and 13 points, respectively. Indiana's bench played a big role in the victory as well. Indiana's backups combined to score 23 points, providing more than enough support on the offensive end.

Rakeem Christmas, a member of the Indiana Pacers, was happy to see the Fever properly represent the city of Indianapolis:

So much of the pregame discussion centered on Moore's game-winner in Game 3, which gave the Lynx a 2-1 series lead. It was the kind of moment that will be replayed for years on end should Minnesota go on to win the title.

In some cases, a shot like that has a deleterious effect on the opposing team for the next game or even the remainder of the series.

Think back to the 2014-15 NBA playoffs. The New Orleans Pelicans were doomed after Stephen Curry's heroics and the Golden State Warriors' massive Game 3 comeback in the first round.

"We have to stay together as a team," said Tamika Catchings, Indiana's leading scorer and rebounder in the postseason, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "We fought really hard, and we did some really good things. That last-second shot, if it doesn't go [in], we go to overtime. It's a heartbreaker to lose like that."

The Fever didn't get off to a great start, trailing 20-15 after the first quarter. Then, Indiana stormed into the lead in the second quarter, in no small part helped by the limited time Sylvia Fowles spent on the court. Fowles, who was averaging 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds a night in the playoffs before Sunday, quickly picked up two fouls in the first quarter, which limited her to five minutes of action in the first half.

As a result, the home team held a 36-32 halftime lead.

Bob Kravitz of WTHR in Indianapolis believed the Fever did a great job of hammering Minnesota on the inside with Fowles gone:

Basketball analyst LaChina Robinson, meanwhile, didn't think the Fever fully capitalized:

Since Indiana only led by four points, the Lynx liked their chances of turning things around in the second half:

Once again, however, Fowles was unable to avoid the referee's whistle. She picked up her fourth foul with six minutes and 40 seconds remaining in the third quarter, and Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve was forced to replace her with Devereaux Peters.

Fowles returned to the game at the 3:52 mark, but the Fever were already in the process of irrevocably turning the game in their favor.

With 8:26 left in the quarter, Indiana trailed 38-36. The Lynx stormed out of the gates after halftime and looked like they might be able to steal another game in Indianapolis. Then, the Fever went on a 13-2 run over a four-and-a-half-minute stretch to grab a 49-40 advantage.

You can see the impact of Fowles' absence on this floater from Johnson, which came during that run, per the WNBA:

The difference swelled to 14 points, 58-44, following a three-pointer from Coleman, which was the biggest lead for either team throughout the Finals. By the time the quarter was over, Indiana closed out the third frame on a 22-8 run.

Every time the Lynx looked like they might be clawing their way back into the game in the fourth quarter, the Fever did just enough to maintain a healthy margin.

The Lynx showed a dogged determination to try to fight their way back into the game. They got the deficit down to four points with 16.6 seconds left in the game, but they simply ran out of time.

The Finals will shift to the Target Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday night for Game 5, with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. While the Lynx will have home-court advantage, the Fever as a franchise seem to relish must-win situations, per Kevin Messenger, the team's media relations director:

A key for Minnesota will be keeping Fowles on the court. If she gets into foul trouble early once again, the Lynx will be vulnerable inside, and they'll also lack a key scoring threat in the post.

For the Fever, holding the Lynx to 3-of-13 shooting will be a good start. Minnesota didn't rely heavily on the three during the regular season, but it was the fourth-best three-point team in terms of shooting percentage.

Indiana would also be helped by getting similar production from its bench. The Fever don't have anybody who can match up with Moore one-on-one. The best way to combat a player like that is with strength in depth. Another balanced scoring output could go a long way toward securing a title.

Post-Game Reaction

"We came out tonight with our backs against the wall and, for 35 minutes, we did everything we needed to do to win," said Fever head coach Stephanie White after the game, per the team's Twitter account.

"Indiana played great. Played like a team that didn't want their season to end," added Reeve regarding the Lynx's opponents.

"The heart that they've shown all season long, the unselfishness that they've shown all season long, the togetherness they built throughout the season ... It's been incredible to watch this team to where we started to where we are right now," White said about her team, per David Woods of the Indianapolis Star.