SPARKS TONIGHT
vs. Houston, 5:45, ESPN2
Site -- Staples Center.
Radio -- KPLS (830).
Records --Sparks 23-10, Comets 20-13.
Record vs. Comets -- 2-1.
Update -- Most of the drama for tonight’s game disappeared when the Sparks clinched the West’s top seeding Saturday. But there is plenty bubbling under the surface, particularly because neither team has beaten the other on its home floor this season. The Comets have lost four of their last five and do not want to enter the playoffs cold against a hot Sacramento team. The Sparks, who have won four in a row, may not want to show much of their playoff hand, but would like to put something in Houston’s mind should the teams meet in the conference finals. “We still want to play hard,” said DeLisha Milton, “because Coach [Michael] Cooper says the ultimate respect you can give a team is to play them hard for 40 minutes.” Scoring has become an issue with Houston; after averaging 68.6 points a game in July, the Comets have averaged 62.8 points a game in August.
Tickets -- (877) 962-2849 or (213) 480-3232.
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PLAYOFF MATCHUPS
Best-of-three series
WESTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Sparks vs. No. 4 Minnesota: Sparks won regular-season series, 4-0.
No. 2 Houston vs. No. 3 Sacramento: Houston won regular-season series, 3-1.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Detroit vs. TBD: Connecticut, Indiana and Cleveland vying for playoff berth.
No. 2 Charlotte vs. TBD: Connecticut, Indiana and Cleveland vying for playoff berth.