Victory Over Comets Is a First for the Fire

All the Houston Comets needed was a victory over the Portland Fire--a franchise that had never defeated the Comets--to move into a tie for first place in the WNBA’s Western Conference standings.

Portland’s Tamicha Jackson, with a career-high 21 points, and Alisa Burras, with a season-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, made sure it didn’t happen Friday night.

The Fire beat the Comets, 70-60, before 9,235 at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore., for its ninth victory in its last 10 games.

Portland shot 52.8% from the field and built on 12 consecutive points from Jackson in the second half to take a 54-50 lead. Houston’s Tina Thompson countered with a three-point shot to pull the Comets (16-6) within one point, but Burras then made consecutive field goals, and Portland (13-9) never relinquished the lead.

The Fire is 1-7 all-time against the Comets, who fell to 1-3 on their trip and slipped one game behind the Sparks in the standings.

Thompson and Sheryl Swoopes each had 22 points for Houston.

Seattle 89, Phoenix 48--The Storm’s victory before 6,759 at Seattle set a team record for winning margin and tagged the Mercury (8-13) with a WNBA-record 17th consecutive road loss. Phoenix, which has not won a road game since July 27, 2001, at Seattle, broke the mark of 16 consecutive road losses set by Washington over the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

Lauren Jackson scored 18 of her 22 points in the first half for the Storm (10-11). The Storm’s 41-point victory margin bettered its 26-point margin over Sacramento last month.

New York 70, Indiana 62--Becky Hammon scored 15 points on five three-point shots as the Liberty (13-9) beat the Fever (8-13) before 6,771 at Indianapolis to close within two games of first-place Washington in the Eastern Conference.

Tamika Whitmore added 13 points and Vickie Johnson had 12 to help New York extend its winning streak to three games. Tamika Catchings led Indiana with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Miami 61, Minnesota 58--Sheri Sam had seven of her 11 points in the second half as the Sol (10-11) tagged the Lynx (6-15) with their seventh consecutive loss before 5,370 at Minneapolis.

Katie Smith led Minnesota with 12 points, but her chance to tie the score with a three-point shot with two seconds left was an airball.

Charlotte 70, Sacramento 51--Kelly Miller scored 16 points and the Sting (13-8) limited the Monarchs (4-16) to 29% field-goal shooting in the victory before 7,246 at Charlotte, N.C.

Miller was seven for eight from the field in 16 minutes for the Sting, which extended its winning streak to four games. Yolanda Griffith, in her fourth game back from an injury, had a season-high 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Sacramento.

Orlando 84, Utah 73--Shannon Johnson had 21 points and matched her career high with 12 assists as the Miracle (10-10) beat Starzz (14-7) before 8,427 at Orlando, Fla., to end a four-game losing streak. Margo Dydek had 18 points and eight rebounds for Utah.

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SPARKS TODAY

at Cleveland, 11 a.m. PDT, Ch. 4

Site--Gund Arena.

Radio--KWKU (1220).

Records--Sparks 16-4, Rockers 8-12.

Record vs. Rockers (2001)--1-1.

Update--The Sparks, coming off a 72-59 loss to the Liberty, haven’t had consecutive losses since 2001, when they dropped games at Houston, Cleveland and New York. Latasha Byears is sidelined by a knee injury she sustained July 11 in an altercation that led to her two-game suspension. Cleveland has won its last two games.