WNBA

• Pondexter, Mercury force decisive Game 5

  
  

  Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Cappie Pondexter poured in 22 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed five rebounds, as the Phoenix Mercury took care of the Indiana Fever, 90-77, in the fourth game of the best-of-five series to force a Game 5 in the WNBA Finals.

  Penny Taylor scored 17 points off the bench for the Mercury, who had lost two straight games after taking Game 1 in OT. Tangela Smith and league MVP Diana Taurasi chipped in 16 points apiece. Temeka Johnson added 10 points and five assists for Phoenix, which will host Game 5 on Friday at 9 p.m. (et).

  Tamika Catchings finished with game-highs of 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Fever, who are seeking their first championship. Ebony Hoffman ended with 17 points and eight rebounds. Tammy Sutton-Brown added 12 points in defeat.

  The Fever scored the first four points of the fourth frame to cut their deficit to 72-68 with 8:17 remaining. Phoenix responded in a big way, going on a 12-2 run to take a commanding 84-70 lead.

  Smith and Taylor each drilled a three-pointer during the spurt, with Taylor's trey capping the flurry with 2:36 to play.

  The Mercury held on for the victory as Indiana never got closer than nine in the final minutes.

  Trailing 12-10 early in the first quarter, the Mercury ripped off 13 consecutive points to go ahead 23-12.

  Pondexter had six points during the spurt,which shecapped off with an 18-foot jumper with less than four minutes left.

  Indiana put together a 10-3 run to close the gap to four, but Taylor scored the final seven points of the period for Phoenix to take a 33-22 lead after one.

  Taurasi's three-pointer put the Mercury ahead 43-34 with 5:44 left until half.

  However, the Fever scored seven straight points to cut the deficit to two.

  Phoenix held on its slim edge and took a 49-47 margin into the locker room.

  A Hoffman layup and a Catchings jumper tied the contest, 59-59, with about 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the third. The Mercury, though, responded with a 10-2 flurry to build a 69-61 lead. Le'Coe Willingham's pair of foul shots topped of the run with under two minutes left.

  APondexter three-pointer with 22.1 ticks left gave Phoenix a 72-65 margin heading into the fourth quarter.

  10/07 22:14:22 ET