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Shock-Mystics Preview

Aug 10, 2009 - 7:38 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Detroit (8-11) at Washington (11-10), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The reigning WNBA champion Detroit Shock have not been able to duplicate last season's form. Their upcoming schedule could help determine if a championship repeat is a possibility.

Detroit opens a stretch of three straight road games versus Eastern Conference foes Tuesday night when it faces the Washington Mystics at the Verizon Center for the second time in five days.

Rookie guard Shavonte Zellous led Detroit (8-11) with 19 points in Sunday's 64-58 win over Chicago as the Shock moved within a game of the Sky for fifth place in the East.

"The last three games, I didn't think I was as efficient as I had the first half of the season," said Zellous, who was 5 of 15 from the field and averaged 4.3 points over the last three contests. "But my teammates helped me and I stayed positive and I think that's what worked - just being aggressive."

With games coming up at Atlanta and Indiana this week, Detroit has an opportunity to make a move up the crowded East standings, where four games separate the six teams chasing league-leading Indiana.

"We plan to have a good week," said Shock coach Rick Mahorn, who is looking to guide the franchise to the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. "We want to be able to defend our championship and this week will dictate what we're going to do."

Detroit, though, is 3-6 on the road, including a 70-66 loss at Washington on Friday. Kara Braxton had 14 points and six rebounds and Deanna Nolan scored 12 with six assists as the Shock lost their second straight to the Mystics.

Washington posted a 75-69 victory at The Palace on June 10 to snap a six-game slide to the Shock.

The Mystics (11-10), who are 7-4 at home, begin a stretch of three in a row there following Sunday's 96-67 loss at Connecticut. It was Washington's most lopsided defeat since a an 81-47 road loss to the Sun on Aug. 26, 2005.

"We didn't compete," Mystics All-Star guard Amanda Beard said Sunday after scoring 16 of her 18 points in the first half. "We made a lot of mistakes and it hurt us."

Beard, seventh in the league with 17.8 points per game, scored 15 in both wins over Detroit in 2009.

Washington is looking for a season sweep of Detroit after dropping all four to the Shock in 2008 by an average of 19.3 points.