SPARKS DON'T FALL L.A. IS ABLE TO AVOID COLLAPSE SPARKS 73, CHICAGO 65.Byline: EARL WILLIAMS Earl Williams could refer to:
It appeared for a short time that the Sparks were going to experience a major collapse against the expansion Chicago Sky The Chicago Sky are a current Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Chicago, Illinois. They began league play in 2006. Their home court is the UIC Pavilion. Sky games are broadcasted on WTTW or WCIU. at home. In the third quarter Friday, the Sparks had trouble making a basket, and the Sky cut a 12-point deficit to four seconds into the fourth quarter. But a huge offensive surge by the Sparks held off the Sky 73-65 in front of 7,282 at Staples Center This article has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. * It does not cite any references or sources. . ``The important thing is that we (got) the win no matter what,'' Sparks coach Joe Bryant Joseph Washington "Jellybean" Bryant (born October 19 1954, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American former professional basketball player and the father of Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Until April 4, 2007, Bryant was also the coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks. said. ``Any good professional team, if we control the first half, we know they are going to come back strong. ``The problem we had in the third was we just got too comfortable, and we just weren't running our plays. I think it is important that we still execute our offense.'' In crunch time, the Sparks' Murriel Page Murriel Page (born LaMurriel Page on September 18, 1975 in Louin, Mississippi, U.S.), is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). came off the bench to score three consecutive baskets and Lisa Leslie Leslie was 9 of 19 from the field and finished with 19 points, 11rebounds, four blocks and fourassists. Holdsclaw contributed 15 points and five rebounds. Johnson and Tamara Moore added nine points apiece and Page had eight points and four rebounds. The Sparks (5-3) knew they were really in a game when Deanna Jackson scored a couple of seconds into the fourth quarter to draw the Sky within four points. In the Sparks' first six games of the season, Leslie, their All-Star center, scored and rebounded in double figures while the Sparks struggled during their season-opening trip. Leslie scored 13 points and Holdsclaw came off the bench to score nine points in the first half and the Sparks had a 43-31 halftime lead. Los Angeles shot 58.8 percent from the field and outrebounded the Sky 17-13. Mwadi Mabika, who scored just two points, is four points away from reaching 3,000 in her 10-year career. Also: Rookie Dalivorka Vilipic has finally arrived from Yugoslavia and is expected to join the Sparks next week. The 6-foot-4, 207-pound forward will give Los Angeles a physical presence in the paint. earl.williams(at)presstelegram.com (562) 499-1338 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: The Sparks' Temeka Johnson drives to the hoop during their game Friday night against Chicago at Staples Center. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer |
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