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MINNEAPOLIS -- Sylvia Fowles admitted she was almost too hyped up at times Tuesday. She wanted a victory in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals badly, and knew it would take the kind of defensive effort her Minnesota Lynx are known for -- but didnt quite get enough of in their loss in the opener.Knowing this was a must-win night, I just let it all out on the floor, said Fowles after Minnesotas 79-60 victory over Los Angeles at Target Center. And my teammates respond well when I show that leadership.At one point, though, she was so intense that Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was about to sub her out.I had to look at her with the evil eye across the court, like, Im all right! Fowles said, smiling. And she was like, OK, shes all right.Fowles was more than all right, actually. The WNBAs Defensive Player of the Year was the dominant force that the Lynx needed, reminding everyone yet again how critical it was that Minnesota made the trade last year to bring her here.Fowles had 13 points and 15 rebounds, leading the Lynxs dominance on the boards, 46-32. The Lynx have won the rebounding battle four of the five times the teams have met this season. But twice, its been by double digits -- in their first meeting on June 21 and Tuesday.This was Minnesotas third win this season against Los Angeles, but the score was close in the previous two. Tuesday, it was the second and fourth quarters that really made the difference, as the Lynx outscored the Sparks 46-25 in those periods. This one tied for the lowest point total the Sparks have had this season; they lost 78-60 at Seattle on Sept. 11.Defensively, we were way better today, Reeve said. I just thought our commitment to our concepts was better. I dont know that we could have been worse than what we did last game as far as the types of easy baskets we gave up, so obviously we cleaned some things up. I was happy about that.Los Angeles Nneka Ogwumike, the leagues MVP this season, was efficient as usual. She just didnt get many shots, going 5 of 6 from the field and 4 of 6 from the line for a team-high 14 points. Sparks center Candace Parker was 3 of 12 from the field and held to six points.I think we limited them from what they do well, Fowles said. Our defense gets us going, and once that happens, our offense flows more smoothly.Fowles was primarily responsible for guarding Ogwumike, and Rebekkah Brunson was on Parker. Post players Natasha Howard and Janel McCarville didnt play a lot of minutes, but both came in and were effective as well.The posts are the backbone of our team and our defense, Lynx point guard Lindsay Whalen said. Theyre so strong; theyre all fighters and are relentless. They showed it tonight with their play on both ends, but defensively they were really impressive.In Sundays opener, a 78-76 L.A. victory, the Lynx put a lot of pressure on the Sparks, but they also surrendered some backdoor cuts for some of those easy baskets that so irritated Reeve.Today, they were a little less aggressive in that aspect, and that worked for them, Sparks guard Kristi Toliver said of the Lynxs defensive approach. And we missed a lot of shots. But I think the main thing that triggered their defensive effectiveness is that we werent getting the stops that we wanted. We werent getting the rebounds, and we werent able to run.When we did, thats when we were able to make that surge and get the game back to within three points in the third quarter.But there was something else that was obvious, and both Toliver and Sparks coach Brian Agler pointed it out.They really wanted to win. You could tell, and youve got to give them a lot of credit, Toliver said. We just kind of didnt do the things we wanted to do or should do. Well be able to go back and watch the film. We need to keep our composure and remain confident.Agler thought the want to factor that the Lynx had eventually overwhelmed the Sparks. Maya Moore had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead Minnesota, and the team defense was the rock that the Lynx have so often relied on.We played like this game was more important to them than it was to us, and thats unfortunate, Agler said. You dont get these opportunities often. I was impressed with how they played tonight, and so well go back and regroup.The Lynx know its probably unlikely theyll hold the Sparks to 60 points again. But they also can be confident that when they play defensively like they have most of this season, thats difficult for any team to beat.Oh, yeah, and about Fowles evil eye -- it wasnt really that evil. Theres not a nicer person off court than Big Syl, but she did get her dander up a few times Tuesday, and Reeve was a little bit worried about that. But it all turned out OK.Im proud of Syl, Reeve said. She didnt always keep her cool, but ... she hung in there through what I thought was a really, really physical game for her. I told her thats what its all about.Game 3 is Friday in L.A. at 9 p.m. ET.Nike Shoes From China Outlet . The news was first reported on Gonzalezs Twitter account and confirmed by the Rockies. Gonzalez has a six-week window before position players have their first workout at spring training in Arizona. Clearance Nike Shoes From China . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. https://www.nikeshoeschina.us/ . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Discount Nike Shoes From China . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. Nike Shoes China . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter.For the sixth season in a row, ESPN.com is ranking the top players in the NBA. Who will be the best player this season?To get the final ranking, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players.LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. Russell Westbrook vs. Kevin Durant. Damian Lillard vs. Chris Paul.We asked, Which player will be better in 2016-17? To decide, voters had to consider both the quality and the quantity of each players contributions to his teams ability to win games.Well roll out the rest of our top 200 players over the next week. If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, #NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook.On to the list ...34. Gordon HaywardJazz | SF?| @gordonhaywardLast years rank: 322016-17 projected RPM: 2.81Insider profile:?After early growing pains as a shot creator, Hayward has settled into a commfortable role as the first option in a balanced Utah offense.dddddddddddd He has used better than a quarter of the teams plays the past two seasons, with true shooting percentages solidly above league average (.559 in 2015-16). Somewhat surprisingly, Hayward has never become a major 3-point threat (his 34.9 percent mark last season, down slightly from 36 percent career, was almost precisely average). But Hayward has developed into an excellent playmaker off the dribble, capable of getting to the basket and finishing or finding teammates (3.7 assists per 36 minutes).?Read more ?#NBArank 31-4031: Carmelo Anthony32: Hassan Whiteside33: Kristaps Porzingis34: Gordon Hayward35: Marc Gasol36: Steven Adams37: Rudy Gobert38: Kemba Walker39: Derrick Favors40: Dwyane Wade ' ' '