Storm-Shock Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Sep 01 2011 2:50PM

With home-court advantage in 2010, the Seattle Storm swept through the postseason en route to their second WNBA title. The Storm are hoping to begin this season's playoff run at KeyArena, especially with how they've come up short on the road.

Needing one win to match a league record with an eighth straight postseason berth, Seattle will try to avoid its first five-game road losing streak in five years Friday night against the league-worst Tulsa Shock.

After posting a league- and franchise-best 28-6 record last season, the Storm had the home-court edge in every round of the playoffs and went 7-0 - four at KeyArena - to claim the championship.

They already know they won't have the same advantage throughout this year's playoffs because Minnesota has clinched the best record in the Western Conference. Seattle (17-13), tied for the league's best home record at 13-2, is in a tight race with Phoenix for the No. 2 seed.

"We've still got four games left," Sue Bird said after Seattle's season-high four-game winning streak was snapped with Tuesday's 68-62 loss at Los Angeles.

"We have a shot at second place, which would give us home-court advantage."

The Storm can equal the Sparks' league record (1999-2006) for consecutive playoff appearances, but they're 4-11 on the road after going 0-4 in August - the last three by a total of 10 points.

Heading to Tulsa could help Seattle avoid its first five-game road skid since July 22-Aug. 8, 2006.

The Storm have won five straight over the Shock (3-26) and are 4-0 in the season series, including two matchups in Tulsa.

When these teams met last Thursday, Seattle extended Tulsa's league-record losing streak to 20 with a 74-57 home victory. However, the Shock won two straight following that defeat, though they fell 96-74 to the Mercury on Tuesday.

"Tulsa has really improved, they have more energy now," Phoenix coach Corey Gaines said.

Tulsa is getting a much-needed two days of rest before Friday's matchup after playing six times in 10 days.

"That's just a little too many games and it's catching up to us right now," interim coach Teresa Edwards said. "I think we're really tired."

Forward Tiffany Jackson hasn't looked that way against Seattle this season, averaging 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds - better than her season averages of 12.0 and 8.2.

Storm center Lauren Jackson is averaging 15.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in five contests since missing 20 with a torn hip labrum suffered in an 82-77 victory at Tulsa on June 21. Jackson had 14 points and three boards last Thursday.

Bird is averaging team highs of 16.5 points and 5.0 assists against the Shock in 2011.

Bird has 21, Storm rally for 78-72 win over Shock

Posted Sep 02 2011 11:45PM

TULSA, Okla. (AP) Seattle coach Brian Agler noticed the upsets Tulsa posted against Los Angeles and Connecticut last month and was adamant the Storm wouldn't succumb to the same fate.

He really didn't need to worry.

Point guard Sue Bird, whom Agler calls ``the best point guard in the world,'' buried a 3-pointer with 37.4 seconds remaining and Seattle staved off the upset with a 78-72 victory in front of 6,117 fans at the BOK Center Friday night.

``It's in my contract, he has to say that,'' Bird joked after the game. ``Seriously, it was a very scrappy game. We had the lead and Tulsa made a run to cut it to four points. It was a pressure situation.

``I came off a pick-and-roll, got a good look and shot the ball. I knew once it went in, it was probably going to seal the game. Tulsa was relentless and that shot was the dagger. Tulsa has improved a ton.''

Bird finished with 21 points.

``That's Sue Bird,'' Agler said. ``I've seen her do this so much, but still I'm amazed at how clutch she is. She's done this multiple times. She took the game over when she had to and that's the difference in her.''

Agler had warned his team that Tulsa (3-27) wouldn't roll over.

``We played Tulsa at home earlier in August, the game before they won two straight,'' he said. ``I told my team (Tulsa) isn't going to make the playoffs, but they were going to impact the playoffs. They have impacted the playoffs and I don't think they are quite done yet.''

Lauren Jackson scored 20 points for Seattle and Swin Cash added 12.

Tulsa forward Jennifer Lacy tied her career-high of 18 points, hitting a personal-best four 3-pointers. Amber Holt added 17 points and Tiffany Jackson finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Shock were without injured point guard Ivory Latta and called on veteran Sheryl Swoopes and Holt to fill in.

``We were forced to play without Latta,'' Shock interim coach Teresa Edwards said. ``It took our rhythm off. I thought Sheryl was awesome, but (playing point guard) took away from her scoring.''

The 40-year-old Swoopes played 36:49 and suffered had only one turnover at the point position.

``I had to do it. We found out at shootaround that Ivory couldn't play,'' Swoopes said. ``I've never played point guard. I just tried to get the ball to the player who was hot. In the first half it was Jennifer (Lacy) and Amber (Holt). In the second half, it was Tiff (Tiffany Jackson).''

Tulsa jumped out to an early lead on five 3-pointers in the first period to lead the 2010 WNBA champions 23-17.

But the Storm (18-13) rallied with a 13-0 run in the second period and never trailed again.

The Storm have won five of its last six games since the 6-foot-6 Jackson returned to the lineup.

``I don't know that we will play Lauren (Saturday in San Antonio),'' Agler said.

Tulsa trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter but mounted a furious rally that pulled the Shock within 74-70 with 1:55 to play.

``Tulsa is a tough matchup for us,'' Agler said. ``With as good a team as we had last year, we got beat here. They're a good team. They just traded away some good players and it's going to take them longer to build their franchise.''

• Storm: --
• Shock: --

• Storm: Jackson
• Shock: Holt

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: BOK Center, Tulsa, OK
• Officials: #53 Jeff Smith, #38 Lamont Simpson, #18 Kurt Walker
• Attendance: 6117
• Duration: 1:53