Sparks win in overtime
Kathy Goodman’s wish came true, kind of.
Since the season began, the Sparks co-owner had been openly pleading for the team to play one complete game. She wanted to see 40 great minutes of basketball, not 30.
In an 86-83 overtime victory against the Tulsa Shock on Tuesday at Staples Center, Goodman walked away almost satisfied.
“They played 40 minutes,” Goodman said. “But it was in 45 minutes.”
After playing three solid quarters to take a 63-53 lead into the fourth, the Sparks (6-15) totally fell apart. They shot 28.6% from the field and had four turnovers in the final quarter while the Shock (4-17) shot 46.2% and had only one turnover to send the game into overtime tied at 76.
Luckily for Goodman, the Sparks came through.
The teams traded baskets in the first few minutes of overtime, but DeLisha Milton-Jones’ sharp shooting and Ticha Penicheiro’s three free throws down the stretch put the Sparks ahead for good.
Milton-Jones finished with 23 points and Tina Thompson and Kristi Toliver added 15 apiece. Penicheiro had her first double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 assists.
“It’s an over-complete game,” Goodman said, laughing.
The fulfillment of Goodman’s wish couldn’t have come in front of a more adoring crowd.
The teams played in front of an announced crowed of 14,413, most of them screaming children for “Camp Day,” which draws the loudest and biggest crowd of the year.
“They may not know a thing about basketball,” Milton-Jones said. “But when the Jumbotron said ‘Make some noise,’ they made some noise.”
She said the campers’ energy helped motivate the players, who had lost four of their last five games before Tuesday and next play Indiana on Thursday, the start of a four-game trip.
“Can they come back for our home stretch in August?” Milton-Jones said.
