Defense Bails Out the Sparks, 72-67

On an afternoon when his team’s win streak reached five to remain in close pursuit of the league-leading Houston Comets, Coach Michael Cooper summed it up this way:

“Winning breeds strength,” he said.

And that’s what carried his Sparks to a 72-67 victory over the New York Liberty on Sunday before 14,717 at Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles’ first win on NBC.

The Sparks (9-2) survived a tense finish, when it seemed their only offensive weapon was Lisa Leslie’s five-for-eight free-throw shooting in the final 4:40--until she fouled out with 22 points with 46 seconds left.

In a game the Sparks might have won easily on a better shooting day (Mwadi Mabika was one for eight on three-point shots), Cooper’s trademark defense again saved the day, but he dished credit to assistant Glenn McDonald.

“The defensive program coach McDonald handed us really carried us today,” Cooper said.

Its principal elements were the efforts by Mabika and Tamecka Dixon against Vickie Johnson and Crystal Robinson, who came in averaging a combined 21 points. Robinson was four for 17 and finished with 10 points; Johnson had only two points.

The Sparks shot 40%, but the Liberty (5-7) was worse at 37.3%. The Sparks also outrebounded New York, 43-29.

The Sparks, whose streak began after a June 13 loss at Seattle, look for their sixth in a row today at Washington on ESPN.

Leslie, who was one for eight from the floor in the first half, recovered somewhat after the break by going to her inside game. She finished five for 13 from the field.

“Even if it’s a game when I’m not shooting well, there’s lots of other things I can do,” she said in the locker room, having to talk over the shrieks of joy from teammates.

“Coach told me at halftime to quit settling for the jump shot, so I did. We feel we’re the No. 1 defensive team in the league and I think we showed that today. And winning in the Garden [New York’s fourth home loss this season], that’s huge. It gives us so much confidence.”

New York Coach Richie Adubato talked about long arms--everywhere.

“You can see Coop’s influence out there, in that defense,” he said.

“Those players are great athletes and naturally good defenders, so if you can get a group like that in a scheme that works--well, it seemed like every time we wanted to do something, there was a long arm.”

Two New Yorkers slipped through the cracks. Second-year sharpshooter Becky Hammon, off the bench, gave her club a five-point lead and energized the big crowd early with three three-point baskets, in three minutes. And 6-foot-2 Tamika Whitmore, who has not started since reporting to training camp 30 pounds overweight, was eight for 12 inside, most of that when Leslie was in foul trouble.

The final score doesn’t reflect that the Sparks were up only 69-67 with 12 seconds left, in danger of losing on a three-point shot.

With 19 seconds left, Mabika inbounded to Ukari Figgs, who lost the ball out of bounds when Teresa Weatherspoon knocked the ball off Figgs’ foot. But Weatherspoon botched her inbounds pass with 14 seconds left, throwing it too high to Whitmore inside.

Figgs picked up the ball and was fouled with 12 seconds left. She made both free throws.

The lead changed hands nine times after halftime, when New York was ahead, 34-33.