HOUSTON, Aug. 18 (Ticker) -- When the game was on the line, the Big Three of the Houston Comets delivered.

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Janeth Arcain, Sheryl Swoopes and Tina Thompson all had baskets in a decisive run to start the second overtime as the Comets kept their season alive with an 83-77 victory over the Utah Starzz in Game 2 of a Western Conference first-round series.

Houston won a playoff game for the first time since two-time MVP Cynthia Cooper retired and set up a decisive Game 3 here on Tuesday night.

Arcain opened the scoring in the second extra session with a jumper and Swoopes added a short jumper with 3:45 left for a 77-73 lead. Thompson scored off an offensive rebound and capped the 9-0 run with a 3-pointer for a 82-73 cushion with 2:14 remaining.

Janeth Arcain can't contain her excitement and Adrienne Goodson can't conceal her disappointment. Bill Baptist/WNBAE/Getty Images

Swoopes finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and six steals. Thompson collected 18 points and 14 rebounds and Arcain scored six if her 17 points after regulation.

Utah held a six-point lead with 4½ minutes left in regulation but Arcain made a jumper over 7-2 Margo Dydek to forge a 65-65 tie. Thompson helped send the game to overtime by blocking a baseline jumper by Starzz guard Marie Ferdinand with four seconds to go.

The Comets had a chance to win at the end of the first overtime but Swoopes misfired on a jumper with six seconds left.

Ferdinand scored 22 points and fellow All-Star Adrienne Goodson added 20 for Utah. Natalie Williams notched 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Dydek added 16 points, 12 boards and five blocks.