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Dream-Fever Preview

Jun 18, 2010 - 6:39 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Atlanta (9-3) at Indiana (7-4), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Earlier this week, the Indiana Fever relied on their league-best defense to knock off the Western Conference leaders. Now they'll try to slow down the top squad from their own conference.

Indiana will try to win its third straight and sixth in a row at home Saturday night against the Atlanta Dream, who also are seeking a third consecutive victory.

In a 72-65 home win over Seattle on Thursday, the Fever (7-4) limited the West leader to 37.7 percent shooting while snapping the Storm's five-game win streak. Seattle entered the game averaging 84.4 points.

"The emphasis for us is to always establish and identify ourselves on the defensive end," said guard Katie Douglas, who scored a team-best 15 points. "I don't think that really changes in any game."

The reigning Eastern Conference champions have won five of six since a 2-3 start, and fueling that comeback is a defense that's giving up a WNBA-low 69.4 points per game and 39.7 percent shooting.

Over their last six contests, the Fever are allowing an average of 66.5 points and 36.8 percent shooting.

"We're starting to get over that hump," forward Tamika Catchings said. "Obviously, this was going to be a big week for us playing Seattle and turning right around and playing Atlanta. I think we're in a good place right now."

Catchings and her teammates will face an Atlanta team that's bounced back since dropping three of four. The Dream (9-3) averaged 76.8 points over those games and shot 43.3 percent.

In their past two wins, they've averaged 91.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting and had five players score in double figures each time. Iziane Castro Marques matched a career high with 31 points Tuesday in Chicago, including 16 in the fourth quarter during a 93-86 comeback win.

"You can never give up," Castro Marques said. "I think we can take for next game that we are always in the game and we always can win."

The Dream averaged 86.8 points during their six straight wins to open this season but got its toughest test May 16 in a 66-62 home victory over the Fever. Atlanta shot 33.3 percent but outscored Indiana 13-4 in the final quarter to rally for the win.

Erika de Souza and Armintie Price each had 14 points, while leading scorer Angel McCoughtry (19.9 ppg) managed 11 despite needing three stitches after taking an elbow from Catchings, who led the Fever with 18 points.

Catchings enters this game having made a franchise-record 33 straight free throws.

Douglas was held to seven points on 3-of-12 shooting in that game but is averaging 17.2 points this month. She averaged 8.8 points during the Fever's five games in May.

Douglas averaged 19.0 points last season against the Dream and helped the Fever take both home games against their Eastern Conference rivals after they dropped a season-opening matchup in double overtime.

Indiana leads the series 5-3, winning three of four at home.