Sloppy Win For Sparks
Even the compact, 32-game WNBA schedule has its dog days of summer.
That’s where the Sparks find themselves. They’re past the All-Star break but not quite near the end of the season, when they sharpen up for the playoffs. Games like Wednesday’s 73-69 victory over the Portland Fire, before 18,542, the largest crowd to see the Sparks at Staples Center, are just that--games.
Oh, they got a workmanlike effort from Lisa Leslie, who had 21 points and 11 rebounds for her 12th double-double this year. Nikki Teasley had 14 points, equaling her career high. And Latasha Byears, who had been out five games because of a suspension and a knee injury, returned to gobble up nine rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.
Still, as talented as the 19-4 Sparks are, even they will look ragged when not motivated. On Wednesday a team-record 27 turnovers neutralized a respectable 45.6% shooting from the field (26 of 57). The Sparks wound up having to hold off a pesky Portland (14-10) team that might have stolen the game at the end if it had shot better (24 of 72, 33.3%) and rebounded better (46-26 in favor of the Sparks).
Reserve guard Tamicha Jackson led the Fire with 14 points.
Spark Coach Michael Cooper, who in the past would have had steam billowing out of his ears after a lackluster display by his team, was reflective afterward.
“It seemed like we were fighting ourselves today,” Cooper said. “It was a tough game to get through. But I also think this is a residual from that long road trip; I still don’t think we got it out of our system.”
Then again, Cooper doesn’t have to psychologically beat up his team after a game like Wednesday’s. The Sparks have learned to do that themselves.
“Today was really ugly,” said Spark guard Sophia Witherspoon, who had three points Wednesday after getting 15 Monday against Orlando. “None of us are happy with our play today. Twenty-seven turnovers cannot happen.”
Tamecka Dixon, who took six shots and scored eight points, added: “We need to work on our focus. We’re a little complacent ... even though we know we have to work on some things. When it’s not a Houston or a New York coming, it can be tough to get up for teams.”
What the Sparks don’t want is for this game to be indicative of the kind of team they are this year, because they haven’t become the team they thought they could be.
“I don’t think we’ve really been crisp all season,” said DeLisha Milton, who had only six points but took down a game-high 13 rebounds. “Some of it is how teams are playing us. The game is not going to come as easy as it did last year, when it was wide open. We were very good at that, and teams are taking that away from us. We’re not as fluid in the half-court set as when we’re running.
“Sometimes you learn lessons the hard way. This [pattern] is something we’ve been trying to break for a while, but it has yet to sink into our heads that, OK, if a play’s not there don’t force it.”
After bolting to a 23-14 lead, the Sparks got sloppy and tried to throw long passes after every rebound for cheap layups. They wound up instead with 11 first-half turnovers.
The Fire cut the Sparks’ lead to 35-33 on a 15-foot jumper by Sylvia Crawley with 1:14 left in the half.
“We want to get out and run, and we had success with that last year,” Cooper said. “[But] in trying to repeat as a champion you can’t do the things you did last year. Last year we could throw the ball out to half court and get the break going. This year we have to be a little more disciplined.”