On Sunday, Phoenix Mercury became the first Lynx opponent to shoot 50 percent this season, scoring 95 points and making 14 three-pointers, both of which were Minnesota’s highest percentage points allowed.

“We’re happy with the win,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said after practice Tuesday. “We also know that we pride ourselves on our defense, and it wasn’t one of the best defenses in the league the last game we played. And we have to be that way for the next game.”

The Mercury turned 10 Lynx turnovers into 17 points. And Phoenix guard Natasha Cloud was electric, scoring 33 points and adding 10 assists. She was 14-for-23, going 5-for-7 at the rim, 5-for-8 from midrange and 4-for-8 on 3-pointers. One of those misses at the rim came in the final seconds, when she was blocked from behind by Lynx center Alanna Smith, setting up Bridget Carleton’s game-clinching 3-pointer at the other end.

Cloud became the second player in league playoff history to record a points-assists double-double and score at least 30 points.

The Lynx can’t expect to have a 24-7 lead on points from the free throw line. That was the stat line in Game 1, and it offset the fact that the Mercury shot the ball better and made more three-pointers.