Tuesday, June 15, 2004
The Sparks center scored five of her 15 points in overtime.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Lisa Leslie bailed out the Los Angeles Sparks.
Leslie scored five of her 15 points in overtime and blocked a shot at the end of regulation and the Sparks held on to beat the Connecticut Sun 76-74 on Monday night.
Leslie added 14 rebounds, and Nikki Teasley had 17 points and nine assists for the Sparks (6-4), who have won three straight.
"Connecticut is a very physical team that makes it very difficult for you to play," Sparks coach Michael Cooper said. "It was a very brutal game and it took all our effort."
Nykesha Sales scored 19 points for the Sun (4-6), who lost for the fourth time in five games. Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 14 points and five rebounds.
Leslie gave the Sparks a 67-64 lead with a layup and ensuing free throw after she was fouled by Jennifer Derevjanik five seconds into overtime.
McWilliams-Franklin made a hook shot with 3:42 remaining to narrow the deficit to 67-66 but Teasley's 3-pointer extended the Sparks' lead to four points 16 seconds later.
The Sun closed within 76-74 on Wendy Palmer's two free throws with 53 seconds remaining and they had a chance to force double overtime. But Derevjanik missed a layup, and Leslie grabbed the rebound as time expired.
"It was a good fight," said Leslie, who scored five of her 15 points in overtime and grabbed 14 rebounds. "I was really tired from the beginning so I was trying to give it all I had."
The Sparks' Tamecka Dixon forced overtime by driving the lane with 10.7 seconds remaining in regulation. The Sun's Katie Douglas then had a chance to win it, but Leslie blocked her 6-foot jumper with 0.9 seconds to go.
"We had the game won," Sun coach Mike Thibault said. "We played hard but we didn't finish the deal. When you get opportunities like that, you shouldn't let them get away."