The Atlanta Dream started its pivotal West Coast road trip with a crucial 97-82 victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday at Michelob ULTRA Arena.

The victory gave the Dream (22-13) a cushion over the three teams below it in the eight-team playoff chase. Atlanta, in fifth place, leads sixth-place New York by one game, seventh-place Washington by 1.5 games, and eighth-place Dallas by 2.5 games. The Dream has nine games remaining, continuing its road swing at Los Angeles on Thursday.

“Having a win like this is going to help us when it comes down to it,” said Rhyne Howard, who scored 22 points to move into second in franchise history with her 57th game of at least 20 points.

Atlanta closed out the Aces, in fourth in the East and the Dream’s prospective first-round playoff opponent, with a 9-0 run to end the game. It was Atlanta’s 12th win this season by at least 10 points.

The win snapped the Dream’s seven-game losing streak to the Aces.

Angel Reese led the effort with 21 points and 10 rebounds for her 24th double-double this season. Allisha Gray added 21 points, and Jordin Canada, who missed the last game, a loss to Indiana, with illness, had 17.

Reese said she didn’t sleep after her last-second miss in Sunday’s loss to Indiana but wasn’t going to let that affect her against the Aces.

“I felt I let my team down in the last game …” Reese said. “So just trying to pick up where I left off and knowing they know who I am and how much I'm a competitor. So just coming out tonight and just doing whatever it takes to win was just my goal.”

The Dream held Las Vegas to 39.7% shooting, including 35.7% shooting from 3. The Aces were averaging 48.4% shooting this season. The Dream had 15 steals.

Howard said the defense pushed the offense.

“When we're really locked in on defense, when we're getting deflections, when we're getting steals, when we're making them take tough shots, I think it forces us to be in a better, confident state on the other end because we're putting them in tough positions,” Howard said.

Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon was ejected after receiving a double technical with 5:06 left in the second quarter. Hammon was arguing for a foul that wasn’t called against A’ja Wilson on a previous possession.

The Dream led by four when Hammon was ejected.

The lead grew because Atlanta showed no signs in the first half of the shooting issues it had in Sunday’s loss to Indiana. The Dream built a 52-41 lead against the Aces by hitting 53.1% of its shots, including 66.7% of its 3-pointers, compared to the 40 and 14.3% it hit against the Fever.

Gray, who was leading the Dream with 17 points, picked up her fourth foul, which was also ruled flagrant after a review, with 7 minutes left in the third quarter. It was Gray’s third foul in the period. She was subbed out.

The Dream’s lead grew to 15 on a head-fake and left-handed layup by Canada with 5 minutes remaining.

Atlanta carried a 71-61 lead into the fourth.

Reese was called for her fourth foul at the start of the quarter, giving the team three starters with four fouls. The Aces’ NaLyssa Smith picked up her fifth foul trying to defend Reese with 7 minutes left.

A Chelsea Gray 3-pointer cut the Dream’s lead to 83-76 with less than six minutes remaining.

The Dream built its lead back to as much as 10 before Las Vegas cut it to six on free throws by Wilson with 1:46 remaining.

Gray hit a running jumper to push the lead back to eight. Reese stole the ball from Wilson, resulting in Canada finishing with a layup to give the Dream a 92-82 lead with 1:15 remaining.

“We haven't beat Vegas in quite some time, and so being able to do it, do it in their place, doing it coming off of the loss that we felt should have been win, I think it was really big for us, and it's going to instill a lot of confidence, especially just being the first game of this road trip,” Howard said.

The Dream visits Los Angeles Thursday.  Tip is at 10 pm ET.