Sep 21, 2008 - 9:10 PM
0 shoutsBy PA SportsTicker
INDIANA 89, DETROIT 82 (OT) ---------------------------
AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) -- The Indiana Fever's misfortunes against the imposing top-seeded Detroit Shock may have taken a turn for the better - barely.
Tamika Catchings had 27 points and 10 rebounds as the Fever held off the Shock, 89-82, in overtime in Game Two of their Eastern Conference semifinal series at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Indiana kept Detroit from bouncing it from the postseason for the third straight year and forced a deciding third game, which is scheduled for Tuesday in Detroit.
Facing elimination, the fourth-seeded Fever also got 15 points and 12 rebounds from Ebony Hoffman en route to knocking off a team that went 14-3 at home in the regular season, including 10-0 against Eastern Conference opponents.
Detroit guard Deanna Nolan made a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score at 75-75 and force overtime, when the Fever would come alive.
Hoffman drilled a key 3-pointer with 1:29 left to give Indiana an 82-79 advantage, one it wouldn't relinquish. Tully Bevilaqua followed with another shot from the arc 36 seconds later to put the game away.
The Shock swept the Fever in the same round in 2006 en route to their second WNBA title, and then won the final two games of last year's conference finals matchup between the teams.
Counting those two victories and Friday's win in the opener, Detroit had won six straight against Indiana, including a 90-68 victory in the most recent meeting at the Palace on September 5.
Katie Smith scored 15 points and Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 14 to pace Detroit, which erased a nine-point deficit going into the fourth quarter.
SEATTLE 64, LOS ANGELES 50 --------------------------
SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm were glad to be home.
Bird scored 20 points and Sheryl Swoopes added 16 as the Storm staved off elimination with a 64-50 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in Game Two of their Western Conference semifinals series.
Camille Little scored 13 points for Seattle, which suffered a 77-69 loss in the opening game of the best-of-three series on the road and will host Game Three here Tuesday night. The Storm will be aiming to avoid their fourth straight opening-round playoff exit.
Seattle posted a league-best 16-1 home record in the regular season, including 10 straight since a loss to the Connecticut Sun on June 16.
Bird set the tone by shooting 7-of-19 from the field, including 3-of-9 from the arc, for the Storm, who held the Sparks to just 24 percent from the field through three quarters. Los Angeles shot 31 percent (16-of-52) from the floor for the game.
It was a low-scoring first half for both squads. Seattle held a 26-15 lead at halftime and went on to outscore Los Angeles, 24-14, in the third quarter en route to a 21-point lead heading into the final period.
DeLisha Milton-Jones and Lisa Leslie scored 11 points apiece for the Sparks.
