Sparks again lack a finishing touch, 96-93
Kiesha Brown, a reserve guard counted on for her defensive prowess, showed she could pivot with the best centers in the league early in the fourth quarter of the Sparks’ game against the Phoenix Mercury.
After making a three-point shot from the right side near the team bench with 8 minutes 15 seconds to play, she wheeled around, faced assistant coach Michael Abraham and let out a yell as each pumped a fist in excitement over the Sparks’ six-point lead, their largest of the game.
Brown finished with a career-high 18 points, but any celebration proved premature as an inspired comeback from a 16-point second-quarter deficit was wasted by the Sparks in a 96-93 loss in front of 10,079 Tuesday night at Staples Center.
“It gripes me,” Brown said. “Our energy was there, our effort was there. We find ways to play hard, and potentially win. We’ve just got to close the door.”
Diana Taurasi made one of two free throws to break a 93-93 tie with 32.6 seconds left and forward Penny Taylor made two more free throws with 11 seconds remaining to secure the victory for Phoenix, which took over sole possession of first place in the Western Conference.
The victory, the Mercury’s first at Staples Center since a 66-63 decision on June 8, 2005, was a reversal from the teams’ last game, won by the Sparks, 87-77, in Phoenix on July 20.
The Sparks, who have lost 13 of their last 15 games, appeared poised for another upset thanks to Brown, who made six of 10 shots, including three of five from three-point range after coming off the bench in the second quarter.
“We knew we were going to make a push,” she said. “We did the best we could. We made great plays when we needed to make great plays, but we made bad plays when we didn’t need to make bad plays.”
The Sparks, who had five players score in double figures, also got 18 points and six rebounds by forward Taj McWilliams-Franklin and 14 points and three assists from reserve guard Sherill Baker.
They had a last shot to force overtime, but after an inbounds pass, Sidney Spencer had a three-pointer blocked by Tangela Smith with 6.8 seconds left, and Phoenix ran out the clock.
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