Sparks-Shock Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jun 25 2012 4:26PM

The Los Angeles Sparks likely feel fortunate that the absence of star forward Candace Parker wasn't lengthy, but their recent win streak was probably a little too brief for their liking.

The Sparks will try to start another run Tuesday night by getting another standout performance from Parker against the last-place Tulsa Shock.

A sore knee kept Parker out of a 93-84 win in Phoenix on Saturday, but she returned for a home matchup with San Antonio the next day. Parker had a team-best 15 points and 15 rebounds as the Sparks fell 91-71, their first loss in four games.

Los Angeles (10-4) shot 38.7 percent, and Kristi Toliver finished with eight points on 3-of-14 shooting after scoring a career-high 29 in Phoenix.

"This game is not going to break us. We're going to use this and grow on many different levels," forward DeLisha Milton-Jones said.

It was Toliver who hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to help down the Shock 76-75 on May 29 and she scored 22 points, including a 14-for-14 performance from the line, in a 95-79 win over Tulsa on Wednesday. Parker was even better with a season high-tying 33 points, a career-best nine blocks and eight rebounds.

The Shock (1-11) followed that defeat with a more competitive effort Saturday but lost 73-70 to Indiana. Temeka Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 11.7 seconds left to get Tulsa within a point, but the Fever's Tamika Catchings made a pair of free throws and Ivory Latta's late 3-point attempt came up short.

Rookie forward Glory Johnson had a season-high 22 points to lead the way, and former Oklahoma star Courtney Paris had 10 points and 11 rebounds in her home debut for Tulsa.

"We have a young team and as I told them in there, we have to keep fighting, keep battling because we are going to win these close games," coach Gary Kloppenburg said. "We are going to learn how to win these close games. We've got to put ourselves in a position like we did tonight to try and win those games."

Kloppenburg isn't helped by the loss of Jennifer Lacy, who was averaging 11.4 points before suffering a torn right meniscus. Liz Cambage, who scored 11.5 points per game last season, is training with the Australian national team for the Olympics.

That could make it difficult to snap a four-game home losing streak to the Sparks. Los Angeles has also won 10 of 11 overall matchups since the Shock relocated to Tulsa before the 2010 season.

Williams, Latta lead Shock past Sparks, 91-75

Posted Jun 26 2012 11:01PM

TULSA, Okla. (AP) Rookie Riquana Williams scored a season-high 27 points and Ivory Latta added 21 to lead the Tulsa Shock to a 91-75 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday night.

Temeka Johnson added 11 points as Tulsa (2-11) got its second win in the last 12 meetings against Los Angeles. Williams' total was a WNBA rookie high this season.

``She is a microwave-type player and when she's hot, you draw up plays to keep her going,'' Tulsa coach Gary Kloppenburg said. ``She did a good job of taking the ball to the rim and finishing.''

The Shock, 0-6 in games decided by seven points or fewer, won for the second time in four games after opening the season with nine losses.

``Tonight was very rewarding after some of the tough games we've been through,'' Kloppenburg said. ``We wanted to be physical and give them some resistance from the start of the game, and our players followed the plan all night.''

Kristi Toliver scored 21 points to lead Los Angeles (10-5), which dropped its second consecutive game and lost by 16 or more points for the third time this season. Candace Parker, who tied a season-high with 33 points in a victory over the Shock on June 20, was held to just two points on 1-of-6 shooting.

Williams' 3-pointer gave the Shock a 23-12 lead after one quarter.

``They had great playmakers at the guard position and they had good play from their guards all night,'' Los Angeles coach Carol Ross said. ``They're explosive and quick and their guard play really took over the game.''

Tulsa had 19-7 run over the final 8 minutes of the second to extend their advantage to 48-25 at halftime. It was the Shock's largest lead at the break, topping their six-point advantage against Phoenix on May 22.

The 25 points were a season-low in the first half for Los Angeles.

The Sparks pulled within 13 points midway through the third quarter, but Tulsa finished the period on a 14-2 run to regain control of the game.

``I thought we had the right mindset to make a run, but Tulsa responded and hit some big shots,'' Ross said.

The Shock led by as much as 27 points in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles' DeLisha Milton-Jones became the ninth WNBA player reach 5,000 career points when she connected on an inside basket with 7:57 left in the second quarter.

• Sparks: --
• Shock: --

• Sparks: --
• Shock: Johnson

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: BOK Center, Tulsa, OK
• Officials: #45 Tom Mauer, #44 Felicia Grinter, #42 Roy Gulbeyan
• Attendance: 4102
• Duration: 1:57