INDIANAPOLIS, July 20, 2007 (AP) -- The Detroit Shock had their championship swagger on full display.

With first place in the Eastern Conference at stake, the Shock used a season-high 28 points by Katie Smith to beat the Indiana Fever 89-80 Friday night.

The Shock (16-5), who won their fifth straight game, are tied with Indiana (16-5) atop the East standings. The teams have two more regular-season matchups remaining.

"We came out to show we're the defending WNBA champions,'' Shock coach Bill Laimbeer said. "We had that focus about us.''

Deanna Nolan scored 19 points and Cheryl Ford added nine points and 11 rebounds for the Shock, who snapped a five-game losing streak at Conseco Fieldhouse.

"I thought it was a great win for us,'' Laimbeer said. "Both teams realized the importance of the game.''

Tammy Sutton-Brown had 16 points, and Tan White scored 13 for the Fever, who had their franchise-record, six-game winning streak ended.

To make things worse, Indiana lost its top player Tamika Catchings, one of the WNBA's leading MVP candidates, to a left foot strain late in the third quarter.

Catchings, who scored 12 points, landed on a Detroit player's foot following a defensive rebound. She didn't return in the fourth quarter and is questionable for Saturday's game at Chicago.

"If she doesn't play, we'll make adjustments,'' Fever coach Brian Winters said.

Despite the loss of Catchings, Indiana managed to keep the game close down to the final seconds.

"Catchings is a big part of our team, obviously, but we have 11 other players who are extremely talented,'' Sutton-Brown said.

Indiana cut Detroit's lead to 71-68 on White's runner with 6:32 left in the fourth quarter, but the Shock responded with a jumper by Plenette Pierson and two free throws by Ford.

Sutton-Brown's layup pulled the Fever within 82-76 with 34 seconds remaining, but Smith helped seal the victory by hitting four free throws in the final 22 seconds.

"This was probably our best game of the year,'' Smith said. "It's nice to have that as we're going down the home stretch.''

Detroit, which shot 52 percent from the field, began the third quarter with two straight baskets by Kara Braxton to extend its four-point halftime lead to 51-43.

The Fever, trailing 65-56, cut the deficit to six points following Sheri Sam's 30-foot jumper to end the third quarter.

"Every time we'd come close, they'd hit some big shots,'' Sutton-Brown said.