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Dream-Shock Preview

Jul 26, 2010 - 8:30 PM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Atlanta (15-9) at Tulsa (4-19), 1:30 p.m. EDT

A five-game road skid has dropped the Atlanta Dream out of first place. They will try to end that costly slide Tuesday when they face the last-place Tulsa Shock, who are on a four-game losing streak and own the worst record in the WNBA.

Since winning six of seven to move atop the Eastern Conference, Atlanta (15-9) has gone 2-5 and fallen one game behind Indiana for first.

The Dream bounced back from an 0-4 trip with an 82-75 win over New York on Sunday, as Iziane Castro Marques scored eight points during a late 11-0 run. Castro Marques finished with 21 points while Angel McCoughtry scored 19 of her game-high 28 in the second half.

"I was starting to see that look of doubt on girls' faces," said McCoughtry, who also had 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double. "I couldn't let us lose again. We had to win."

Building on that victory could be difficult, however, as Atlanta heads back out on the road for its next two games. The Dream's last three road losses came by an average of 15 points.

Atlanta allowed 87.5 points per game during its road swing, up from its overall season average of 83.4.

Neither the Dream nor the Shock showed much defensive intensity in their last meeting, a 96-90 Atlanta win June 23.

The Shock (4-19) saw their struggles continue in a 75-59 defeat to Seattle on Sunday. They shot 36.4 percent and were outrebounded 43-25, losing after taking a 23-18 lead early in the second quarter.

"We're not a big team and the rebounding kills us," coach Nolan Richardson said. "On one possession, they were getting three or four shots. When you get that many shots on one possession, you're going to nail some of them and that makes it very difficult for us."

Richardson's team could have another tough day on the boards Tuesday. The Dream lead the league in rebounding at 39.8 per game and have the second-largest rebounding differential at plus-6.1.

The Shock have the lowest differential at minus-5.7 and were outrebounded 42-37 by Atlanta last month.

Tulsa had no answer for McCoughtry in that game, as she finished with 29 points and 10 boards.

Atlanta is 8-2 against the Western Conference.

The Shock sent guard Alexis Hornbuckle to Minnesota on Monday for forward Rashanda McCants. Hornbuckle, who was averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds, was the last player remaining from the Shock's days in Detroit.

McCants was scoring 5.6 points per game for the Lynx.