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Mercury-Sparks Preview

Aug 16, 2010 - 9:24 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Phoenix (14-17) at Los Angeles (12-19), 10:30 p.m. EDT

The Phoenix Mercury have already clinched a postseason spot. The Los Angeles Sparks' playoff fate likely will come down to their final game.

The Sparks begin their season-ending stretch as they host the slumping Mercury on Tuesday night.

Los Angeles (12-19) is entering the final three games of the season tied with San Antonio and Minnesota for the final two playoff positions in the Western Conference. The clubs are also two games back of second-place Phoenix (14-17), which has clinched a berth in the postseason.

The Sparks host Minnesota on Friday before visiting West-leading Seattle for the regular-season finale Saturday.

A three-game winning streak could be key for Los Angeles, which is coming off Saturday's 92-87 win at Tulsa after forward Tina Thompson's hit a 17-foot buzzer-beater to clinch a 78-77 victory over the Lynx two nights prior.

Thompson came up big again Saturday, totaling 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

"Early on, they were just giving me a lot of good looks at the basket," said Thompson, who shot 9 for 18 from the floor against the Shock. "I don't know if that was their defensive scheme or not, but I got a lot of one-on-one. I made a lot of shots early on, and as far rebounds, just playing aggressive."

Thompson, who became the WNBA's all-time leading scorer earlier this month, is averaging 15.6 points and 6.1 rebounds on the season. However, she's struggled in four meetings with the Mercury, scoring 7.8 points per game while shooting 13 for 44 from the floor, including 5 for 21 from 3-point range.

The Sparks have dropped four of five at home to Phoenix, including Game 1 of last year's conference finals as the Mercury went on to win the WNBA title.

Los Angeles also lost the most recent matchup at Staples Center, 98-89 on July 6.

The Mercury are on a four-game slide and were routed in their last two. They lost 107-69 at New York on Saturday, a night after falling 110-90 at East-leading Indiana.

Phoenix secured a playoff berth despite the loss to the Fever, and can clinch the No. 2 seed in the conference with a win Tuesday combined with a loss by San Antonio to Washington.

The Mercury hold the tiebreakers on the Sparks and Lynx, and visit San Antonio in Sunday's regular-season finale.

Phoenix could use a better performance from guard-forward Diana Taurasi, who had a season-low five points on 1-for-7 shooting at New York.

The league's leader with 22.9 points per game, Taurasi had 30 in the last visit to Los Angeles.