Lynx Beat Sparks 94-77 In Western Finals Opener

MINNEAPOLIS - Maya Moore scored 20 points, Rebekkah Brunson had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 94-77 Thursday night in the opener of the Western Conference finals.

Seimone Augustus added 16 points for the defending champion Lynx.

Candace Parker scored 25 points and Alana Beard had 16 for Los Angeles. Kristi Toliver, who came in averaging 26 points in the playoffs, was held to 12.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Sunday in Los Angeles, where the Lynx are 4-21 all-time.

The high-scoring affair should not have been a surprise after Minnesota averaged a WNBA-best 86 points during the regular season - just two more than Los Angeles.

The Sparks were outscored 46-34 in the paint and the Lynx held a 20-2 advantage in second-chance points.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.