TONIGHT

at Phoenix, 7, Oxygen

Site--America West Arena.

Radio--KPLS (830).

Records--Sparks 24-7, Mercury 11-20.

Record vs. Mercury--2-0.

Update--The season is distilled to its simplest form. If the Sparks win tonight (or if Houston loses at home) they will be seeded first in the Western Conference, clinching home-court advantage as long as they are in the postseason. L.A. would open the playoffs at fourth-place Seattle. If the Sparks finish the season tied with Houston, the Comets will be seeded first because they have the tiebreaker edge, and L.A. will open at Utah. The Sparks’ first game of the playoffs will be Thursday or Friday, depending on matchups. Phoenix knocked Portland out of the playoffs Sunday with a 73-70 victory and would love to play spoiler again. But Phoenix hasn’t beaten L.A. since July 17, 1999, losing nine in a row.