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Silver Stars-Mercury Preview

Sep 18, 2009 - 4:50 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

San Antonio (15-19) at Phoenix (23-11), 10:00 p.m. EDT

With the league's best record, the Phoenix Mercury secured home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

That edge might come in handy Saturday night when they look to hold off elimination and the San Antonio Silver Stars in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.

After missing the playoffs in 2008, Phoenix finished the regular season with a franchise record-tying 23 victories, including a league-best 11 wins on the road. The Mercury, though, opened this best-of-three series Thursday with a 92-91 loss at San Antonio.

Cappie Pondexter's jumper with 1:12 remaining trimmed San Antonio's lead to 87-86, but the Mercury could not overcome the defending conference champion.

"We played a good team who hit big shots, while we missed a lot of ours," coach Corey Gaines said. "We fought hard all year for home court, and we have two games at home starting on Saturday, and that's what we have fought for."

Phoenix, which went 12-5 at US Airways Center, also would host Game 3 on Monday if it can pull off a win Saturday.

The Mercury also could benefit from a better effort from league scoring champion Diana Taurasi, who missed nine of 14 shots and had 15 points - 5.4 below her average.

"We don't see a night like that from Diana very often," forward Penny Taylor told the Mercury's official Web site. "She is a great scorer. I am sure she will rebound in the next game.

"On offense for me, there was a lot of space on the floor on some nights because we have such great wing players like Diana. There is a lot of space in the post for me to operate."

Taylor had 18 points and six assists off the bench to lead Phoenix, while DeWanna Bonnor and Pondexter added 15 points apiece.

The Silver Stars, meanwhile, are looking to finish off a Phoenix team that swept them in the 2007 conference finals before winning the championship.

Led by forward Sophia Young's 24 points, seven San Antonio players scored at least seven in the Game 1 victory.

"It was just a good team win," coach Dan Hughes said. "It was a tough game and luckily we were able to control enough of it in the last two minutes, enough to come away with a victory."

Becky Hammon, second in the league in scoring at 19.5 points per game, was held to 13 in the series opener but made two free throws with two seconds remaining to give San Antonio a 92-88 lead.

Hammon had 20 points and eight assists in a 90-79 season-opening loss at Phoenix on June 6, and she missed 10 of 12 shots and scored seven in a 95-83 defeat at US Airways Center on Aug. 13.

Young averaged 27.0 points and 9.0 boards in those losses.