SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 9 (Ticker) -- With their first-place hopes hanging in the balance, the Los Angeles Sparks played defense worthy of defending champions.

Lisa Leslie had 19 points and seven rebounds and Mwadi Mabika added 18 and nine as the Sparks scored the final 10 points and rallied for an 85-77 victory over the Utah Starzz.

Los Angeles fell one-half game behind Houston for the best record in the WNBA with a loss to the Comets at the Staples Center on Thursday. The defending champions were trailing late on Friday before shutting down Utah's offense.

The Starzz were clinging to a 77-75 lead with 3:20 remaining but were held scoreless thereafter. The Sparks pulled within 77-76 before Mabika buried a short jumper with 1:50 left to put them ahead for good.

Leslie scored with 63 seconds to go and Mabika followed with a pair of free throws 21 seconds later as Los Angeles won for the third time in four games.

Marlies Askamp scored a season-high 12 points and Tamecka Dixon also had 12 for the Sparks, who shot 51 percent (32-of-63) from the floor and moved into a tie with Houston with two games to play. The Comets have the tiebreaker advantage.

Marie Ferdinand scored 19 points, Adrienne Goodson added 15 and nine rebounds and Natalie Williams had 13 and nine for the Starzz, who have clinched third place in the Western Conference.

Utah had a six-game home winning streak snapped and lost for the fifth time in the last six meetings with Los Angeles.