After the first half on Sunday afternoon, it looked like the Los Angeles Sparks were going to calmly take care of business and complete a three-game sweep of the Elena Delle Donne-less Chicago Sky in their semifinal series.

But then the Sky locked in on defense, holding the explosive Sparks offense to just 8 points in the third quarter to take the lead. After some big buckets from Imani Boyette down the stretch, and a gutsy jumper by Courtney Vandersloot in the closing seconds, the Sky held on for a 70-66 victory to stay alive and force Game 4.

You can tune in to ESPN 2 at 8 PM ET on Tuesday night to watch as the Sky try once again to stave off elimination and force a winner-take- all Game 5 back in L.A. Here’s what to watch for.

Can The Sky’s Defense Step Up Again?

The Sky struggled all season long on the defensive end, finishing the year with the second-worst defensive rating at 106.1. Those problems were obvious in the first two games of this series against the Sparks, as they allowed Los Angeles to shoot a combined 53.3 percent.

But on Sunday, the defense was able to lock in with the season on the line. They held the Sparks to just 27 second half points as Candace Parker and company shot just 26-71 from the field on the afternoon.

Holding the Sparks to 66 points again is unlikely, but the Sky will absolutely need another solid performance on the defensive end if they want to extend their season.

The Impact Of Imani Boyette

Boyette was essentially a non-factor in the first two games out in L.A., playing just 20 minutes combined. But on Sunday she made a huge difference, putting up 13 points and 11 rebounds over 23 minutes, including six points and a huge block on Candace Parker during the final two minutes.

Most importantly though, Boyette provided a strong interior presence on the defensive end. Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike dominated the interior in the Sparks’ first two wins, but Boyette helped neutralize them in Game 3. Her ability to alter shots in the lane and pull down rebounds was key to Chicago turning the game around, and they’ll need more of the same if they want to take Game 4 as well.

L.A.’s 1-2 MVP Punch

Over the first three games of this series, the duo of Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike have shown why they have MVP trophies sitting in their trophy cases.

Ogwumike is averaging 22.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists so far, while Parker is adding 19.7 points, 12 rebounds, and 5.7 assists a game.

Except for the second half of Game 3, these two have completely dominated this series, setting the tone for the Sparks as they look to get back to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2003.