• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Sparks-Monarchs Preview

Aug 15, 2009 - 6:21 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (8-13) at Sacramento (7-17), 10:00 p.m. EDT

Losing to last-place teams isn't helping the Los Angeles Sparks' chances of reaching the playoffs.

Trying to avoid a third straight loss, the visiting Sparks look to avenge their latest defeat in the conclusion of a home-and-home set with the Sacramento Monarchs on Saturday night in the season finale between the bottom two teams in the Western Conference.

Lisa Leslie scored 25 points and blocked her 800th career shot, but Los Angeles (8-13) lost 85-79 at home to last-place Sacramento on Friday night.

"We blew a golden opportunity," said Los Angeles coach Michael Cooper, whose team shot 41.8 percent, committed 12 turnovers and trailed by 12 points after one quarter. "Until we've decide to play defense as a team and not individuals, we'll just flounder and probably work ourselves out of the playoffs."

The defeat came three days after the Sparks lost 65-61 at home to New York, which is last in the East. The two losses have contributed to Los Angeles being one game behind fourth-place San Antonio for the final playoff spot in the West.

Los Angeles has three games left against San Antonio.

"If we would've won (Friday) and won (Saturday), we would've been in the playoffs," said Candace Parker, who added 10 points and 10 rebounds for her league-leading seventh double-double. "We're disgusted about the way things are going. Nobody would've ever imagined us to be 8-13 at this point in the season. As crazy as it is, we still have an opportunity to be in the playoffs."

Leslie, who's averaging 13.8 points, is coming off her highest-scoring game since returning from a right knee injury on Aug. 4.

Rebekkah Brunson scored 19 points, All-Star Nicole Powell added 18 and Ticha Penicheiro had 10 and 10 assists for the Monarchs (7-17), who are in position to win three straight games for the first time this season.

"(Sacramento) obviously has struggled and they don't have a great record and they're finding a way, so it's not impossible to do," said Leslie, who will retire at the end of her 12th season.

The Monarchs shot 53.2 percent and used an 11-0 fourth-quarter run to help put away the Sparks, who won 67-47 on June 21, in the teams' previous meeting at Staples Center.

"We know they're going to come to Sacramento and play really hard," said Brunson, who posted her second straight 19-point effort in her third game back from a knee injury. "We just need to keep our composure and keep playing our game."

Powell also scored 18 points in the Monarchs' 59-56 home loss to the Sparks on Aug. 1.