Macher Saves Seattle By One

SEATTLE, Stu Macher needed 27 minutes and 12 shots to nearly put a game away by himself. He finished 10-of-12 from the field, 4-of-5 from three, and posted a plus-13 in the Scream's 109-108 win over the Tampa Bay Omens on Saturday night. One point. That was the final margin, and it was enough only because Macher kept converting every time Seattle needed a bucket in the fourth quarter.

The Omens had chances. Nia Rivers gave Tampa Bay a legitimate closing argument, posting 21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks on 9-of-13 shooting in 26 minutes. She finished with a plus-1, which means she was winning her individual battle all night; the problem was the rest of the Omens could not match what Darius Smiles and King Ding were doing on the other end. Smiles went for 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists without a turnover in nearly 34 minutes, a quiet triple-double that showed up everywhere in the flow of the game. Ding matched those 15 points and 13 boards, adding 8 assists and hitting 4-of-4 free throws when the Omens tried to send him to the line late.

Macher's efficiency was the engine, though. There are scorers who get their numbers on volume, running up attempts until something goes in. Macher was the opposite here. He took only the shots he wanted, connected on almost everything, and kept Seattle's offense humming at a moment when the Omens were applying real defensive pressure. Four of his five three-point looks fell. He missed one free throw all night. It was a precise, controlled performance from a player who clearly understood the assignment.

Green Goblin added 17 points and 3 steals off the wing for Seattle, shooting 3-of-10 from three but converting on the defensive end when it mattered. For Tampa Bay, an unnamed reserve known only as Baller #43 contributed 13 points and 8 rebounds on 4-of-8 shooting in 24 minutes, but his minus-11 told the real story of how those lineups broke down.

Seattle improves with a win it had no business making look easy. Tampa Bay will want that final possession back.