Red-Hot Liberty Forces Game 3

The New York Liberty shot 71% in the first half and contained the league’s leading scorer, Chamique Holdsclaw, as it rolled over the Washington Mystics, 96-79, Saturday night before 13,851 at Madison Square Garden.

The Liberty returns to the Garden tonight for Game 3, hoping to advance to the WNBA Finals for the fourth time in the league’s six-year history.

The winner will play the defending champion Sparks.

Tari Phillips scored 15 of her 23 points in the first half and made 11 of 13 shots. Tamika Whitmore also had 23 points for the Liberty.

Vickie Johnson added 18 points, making all five of her three-point shots. New York went seven for eight from behind the arc and shot a WNBA playoff-record 66% (35 for 53).

Holdsclaw had a quiet 14 points and two rebounds, sitting out the final seven minutes with the game out of hand. She averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds in the regular season.

“It’s the first game in my life I’ve had one defensive rebound,” Holdsclaw said. “We just have to throw this out the window and get ready for the next game.”

New York had a 48-26 advantage in the paint.

“It’s easy when you make every basket,” New York Coach Richie Adubato said.

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*--* WNBA Playoffs Conference finals; Best of three WESTERN CONFERENCE Sparks vs. Utah Sparks win series, 2-0 Game 1--Sparks 75, Utah 67 Game 2--Sparks 103, Utah 77 EASTERN CONFERENCE New York vs. Washington Game 1--Washington 79, New York 74 Game 2--New York 96, Washington 79 Game 3--Today at N.Y., 4 p.m., ESPN

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