Sparks Preserve Chance

There is one more step to take before they can exhale. But the Sparks can take a deep breath after escaping San Antonio with their WNBA playoff hopes intact.

Chamique Holdsclaw made the go-ahead field goal with 14 seconds left to carry Los Angeles to a 70-67 victory over the Silver Stars on Friday night at the SBC Center.

Holdsclaw’s 16-foot shot broke a 67-67 tie. She added a free throw with one second left to finish with 20 points and four assists for L.A., which rallied from an eight-point deficit, at 62-54, with 4:51 left. Lisa Leslie had 17 points and 12 rebounds.

The victory was the fourth consecutive for the Sparks (17-16), their longest winning streak this season, and gave L.A. a one-game lead over Phoenix for the fourth and final playoff slot in the Western Conference.

If the Sparks defeat Houston tonight in the final game of the regular season, they are in the playoffs no matter what Phoenix (16-17) does in Seattle. If L.A. loses, it will get in if the Mercury falls to the Storm.

If Phoenix wins, it will get into the playoffs by virtue of winning the season series with the Sparks for the tiebreaker edge.

“Right now it’s about focus for us,” Spark Coach Joe Bryant said. “We know [today’s game] is important, but I always tell the ladies there’s no pressure, they don’t need to be thinking about the playoffs.

“The most important thing is to play to the best of their ability and good things will happen.”

It was a difficult ending for the Silver Stars (7-27), who finished their season with their ninth consecutive defeat. That tied the franchise record, set last year, for consecutive defeats.

LaToya Thomas led San Antonio with 14 points off the bench but had only two in the second half. Wendy Palmer-Daniel had 11 points and seven rebounds.

San Antonio looked good in the beginning, moving out to a 36-32 halftime lead by shooting 50% (14 for 28).

Thomas, who had been in double figures only once since recovering from an injured shoulder, had 12 points in 11 minutes. San Antonio, which wound up shooting 46% (23 for 50), led, 51-38, with 12:14 left before the Sparks began to close the gap.

“The key thing is to have a killer instinct and learn how to win these games by playing together,” said Leslie, whose team made 11 of its last 12 shots and shot 49.1% for the game. “We need the same effort” against Houston.

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Associated Press contributed to this report. Terry reported from Los Angeles.

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TONIGHT

at Houston, 5:30 PDT

Site -- Toyota Center.

Radio -- 690.

Records -- Sparks 17-16, Comets 18-15.

Record vs. Comets -- 3-0.

Update -- If the Sparks win, and ensure themselves a place in the WNBA playoffs, it would mark the first time Los Angeles has swept a season series from the Comets. If Houston wins, L.A. could miss the playoffs for the first time since 1998. Hard feelings remain from the teams’ last meeting on Sunday. The Sparks won, 55-50, but are unhappy about a flagrant foul by Houston’s Tina Thompson that dropped the Sparks’ Laura Macchi to the floor in the closing seconds. That fueled angry words between the coaches and shoving among players after the game. The league fined Thompson, but the Sparks wanted a suspension. A victory by the Sparks would mean they’d play Seattle and Houston would play Sacramento.

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-- Mike Terry