No Spark at Finish for L.A.
Friday night started out well for the Sparks when they saw Lisa Leslie walk into the locker room without crutches and a smaller brace around her injured right knee.
Then they played the Houston Comets, who are becoming as comfortable in Los Angeles as the Sparks have gotten in Texas.
Houston, which got 21 points from Sheryl Swoopes and 16 from Janeth Arcain, rallied to defeat Los Angeles, 79-74, before 10,824 at Staples Center.
It was the third win in a row for the Comets (11-8) at Staples Center. The Sparks have won three of the last four games in Houston. All this proved was that home-court advantage means little in the rivalry between the only teams to win WNBA championships, although Swoopes said home court might not mean that much anywhere in the league this year.
“All the teams have gotten so much better that anybody can beat anybody on a given night,” said Swoopes, who made seven of 15 shots and added five of six free throws in the final minute to secure the victory.
“We’ve lost some big ones at home this year, including one to Los Angeles. A lot of teams think just because you’re playing at home that you’re supposed to win. And that’s probably the way it should be. But because everyone is so much better this year it’s no longer true.”
It certainly isn’t true for the Sparks (16-4) -- 10-1 on the road and 6-3 at Staples.
Still, it’s not that the Sparks, who got 28 points from Mwadi Mabika and 16 from Nikki Teasley, dislike playing at home. Instead, the Comets took advantage of the gaffes and goofs the Sparks get away with against lesser teams at Staples.
Coach Michael Cooper acknowledged as much.
“I thought there was a point where Houston wanted it a little more than we did,” said Cooper, who was fairly composed after losing to the team he most hates to lose to. “You’ve got to credit them. But now we’ve seen some other things we have to work on to not only keep us going but make us better when [Leslie] comes back.
“Things like blocking out [for rebounds], something we’ve been yelling about in practice. Also setting good picks, making layups. Not doing those things not only stop runs, they stop wins.”
Friday’s game was more important to Houston than Los Angeles because the Comets, who have used eight lineups because of injuries, are battling with Seattle and Minnesota for playoff seeding behind the Sparks in the West.
Even though the Sparks ripped off an early 16-5 run, twice held leads of eight points and led, 40-35, at the half, Houston stayed close because of the play of Swoopes and Michelle Snow (15 points, eight rebounds ).
In the second half, the Comets controlled the tempo and made it a half-court game, which was to their benefit. Houston took the lead for good, 64-63, on two free throws by Dominique Canty with 5:55 left to play.
Leslie, who was hurt in the league’s All-Star game last Saturday and was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, continued to be upbeat about her recovery.
“I can walk now,” Leslie said. “I still have pain very close to my [medial collateral ligament], but the pain is centralized there. It’s still swollen but much smaller from where it started.”