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Thompson scores 21 to lead Sparks past Sun, 91-81

Aug 31, 2009 - 4:55 AM LOS ANGELES(AP) -- Neither Tina Thompson nor Candace Parker was at 100 percent. The two Los Angeles Sparks stars were good enough, though.

Thompson scored 21 points and Parker had 20 points, 13 rebounds and four assists to lead the Sparks to a 91-81 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday night.

Parker is just three months removed from giving birth and says she's not all the way back yet.

"I don't think I'm there yet," Parker said. "I feel like I'm 80-85 percent right now. I think we've got two or three more weeks before the playoffs start so I think by then, I'll feel like I'm back to where I was last year."

She missed Thursday night's game against Phoenix because of undisclosed personal matters. Parker mentioned in her Twitter account that her 3-month-old daughter, Lailaa, was sick Wednesday night.

Thompson has been hampered by sprained ligaments in her thumb, injured July 11.

"My thumb is terrible," Thompson said with a laugh. "It's kind of green now. It'll probably be purple tomorrow. Because those ligaments are weak now, I have to have it taped to support it. If not, then my thumb has a mind of its own."

Marie Ferdinand-Harris added 12 points for the Sparks (15-14), who have won seven of eight and moved three games ahead of Minnesota and San Antonio, which share fourth place in the Western Conference, with five games left.

Anete Jekabsone-Zogota scored 21 points, Tan White had 20 points and Lindsay Whalen added 15 points, nine assists and four rebounds for the Sun (14-16), who lost their fourth consecutive game.

Connecticut fell into a three-way tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with Chicago and Detroit with four games remaining. The top four teams in each conference qualify for the WNBA playoffs.

The Sun aren't exactly in peak condition, either.

Asjha Jones has missed seven straight games since straining her left Achilles' tendon and reserve Erin Phillips did not play in Phoenix on Saturday night because of a strained left knee.

"Our best player is not playing and one of our key bench players isn't playing," Sun coach Mike Thibault said. "Our assistant coach's wife died so we didn't practice for two days and we'll be playing five games in eight days."

The Sun held a 13-12 lead when the Sparks went on a 16-0 run late in the first quarter. Parker had six points and three rebounds during the spurt while Betty Lennox added four points and two assists.

Los Angeles extended its advantage to 21 points before Connecticut narrowed the deficit to 61-54 with 1:36 left in the third quarter. Jekabsone-Zogota scored 11 points in the period.

But Lennox's 3-pointer and DeLisha Milton-Jones's lay-up off Lisa Leslie's no-look assist enabled the Sparks to build a 66-54 lead.