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Storm-Sparks Preview

Jun 27, 2009 - 6:50 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Seattle (6-2) at Los Angeles (2-5), 9:30 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Sparks had no answer for stopping Storm power forward Lauren Jackson in Seattle on Friday. They don't have much time to figure out a way to contain the league's scoring leader.

Jackson looks to build on her best game of the season and lead the Storm to their fourth straight victory Sunday at Staples Center when they wrap up a home-and-home series with the Sparks.

Jackson led Seattle (6-2) to a 69-67 home win over the Sparks on Friday with a season-high 32 points and eight rebounds. The two-time league MVP made 12 of 15 shots - including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc - for Seattle, which lost to Los Angeles (2-5) in three games in last season's Western Conference semifinals.

"I have a supportive team and my teammates are definitely helping me," said Jackson, who is averaging 24.5 points and shooting 60.0 percent (21 of 35) from 3-point range. "I have great people around me. They can't just stop one player."

Jackson has scored at least 20 in each of the first eight games of the season. If she does it again Sunday, she'll match Cynthia Cooper's WNBA record of nine consecutive 20-point games to open a season, set in 1999.

"I haven't been here for but a year in a half, but from what I remember coaching her, I don't know if she's played any better than she's playing right now," Seattle coach Brian Agler said of Jackson.

Jackson led the Storm to their third straight victory Friday, but it wasn't easy.

Los Angeles rallied from a 16-point, second-half deficit to tie the game twice in the fourth quarter, including 61-61 on a basket by Marie Ferdinand-Harris with 3:40 remaining. The Sparks had a chance to send the game into overtime after inbounding the ball at midcourt with 3.3 seconds to play, but Seattle's Swim Cash stripped the ball away from Tina Thompson as time expired.

The Storm are determined to avoid another let-up like that.

"L.A. is too talented, and for us I think we relaxed a little bit," said Seattle's Sue Bird, who had 15 points Friday. "You can't do that against a team like L.A."

Thompson finished with a season-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting Friday for the Sparks, who rallied despite playing their second straight game without Lisa Leslie (right knee sprain).

Los Angeles, which is already without reigning league MVP Candace Parker after she gave birth in May, expects Leslie to miss four more games.

The Sparks dropped to 0-5 on the road with Friday's defeat, but hope to get back on track at Staples Center, where they've earned both of their victories and have yet to lose.

Los Angeles has also won three straight home games over the Storm, including a 77-69 victory in Game 1 of last season's playoff series.