Cooper: Sparks Will Be Ready for Game 2

In the moments after the Houston Comets’ 77-56 demolition of the Sparks on Thursday night, Spark Coach Michael Cooper seethed, furious that his players picked the opener of the Western Conference finals to turn in their season’s worst performance.

What a difference a day makes.

By Friday afternoon, Cooper called Thursday’s Compaq Center rout “a blessing handed to us on a silver platter.”

After a 28-4 regular season, during which they defeated Houston three times and then swept the Phoenix Mercury in the opening round of the playoffs, the Sparks seemed intimidated at first by the howling mob of 14,597 and then by the Comets’ ferocity.

It’s called championship basketball, said Cooper, adding that his players weren’t prepared to play at that level against the three-time WNBA champions.

“I don’t think we understood the mentality with which Houston approached that game,” he said.

“I tried to tell them that this was a wounded animal we were playing. Now that our team has been handed this blessing on a silver platter, they’ll know Sunday what kind of energy level is necessary to beat Houston in the playoffs. I guarantee it’ll be there this time.”

Now, he said, the Sparks collect the dividend from going 28-4.

“We worked so hard all season to get that home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, and now we’re thinking only of that Sunday game, not the next one.”

After watching his team launch a 17-0 run against the Sparks in the opening minutes and then sustain that energy level, Houston Coach Van Chancellor pronounced the Comets ready for a run at a fourth consecutive title.

Western Finals

SPARKS vs. HOUSTON

Houston leads best-of-three series, 1-0

Game 1: Houston 77, Sparks 56

Game 2: 1 p.m. Sunday at Forum, Ch. 4

Game 3: 7 p.m. Monday at Forum, ESPN*

* if necessary