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Fever-Silver Stars Preview

Aug 19, 2010 - 5:10 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Indiana (21-11) at San Antonio (12-20), 8:00 p.m. EDT

While the Indiana Fever have locked up a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, it's uncertain who they'll play in the opening round.

The San Antonio Silver Stars just hope to be playing in the postseason.

The Fever look to rebound from their most lopsided loss of the season Friday when they face a Silver Stars club needing to finish strong at home to secure a fourth consecutive playoff berth.

Indiana (21-11), which clinched its sixth straight postseason berth with a 110-90 win over Phoenix last Friday, had an opportunity to pad its conference lead and win the season series against New York on Tuesday but lost 78-57.

It was Indiana's worst defeat since a 22-point loss to Minnesota in last season's home opener.

"I just don't think we had the effort and energy to match them tonight," coach Lin Dunn told the Fever's official website after the team's season high-tying five-game winning streak was snapped.

While the defending conference champion Fever are trying to hold off the surging Liberty for the top spot in the East, the Silver Stars (12-20) are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

San Antonio, which has dropped five of six at home, sits in a three-way tie with Los Angeles and Minnesota, with the clubs fighting for the final two playoff positions in the West.

The Sparks host the Lynx on Friday, so the Silver Stars need a victory to avoid falling into a fourth-place tie heading into Sunday's regular-season finale against the visiting Mercury.

With Chamique Holdsclaw out for the season with a torn right Achilles' tendon suffered in Sunday's 84-78 loss in Minnesota, coach Sandy Brondello will need Sophia Young and point guard Becky Hammon to carry the club in the final two games.

The two combined for 29 points in Tuesday's 76-66 home loss to Washington, and the absence of Holdsclaw was evident as San Antonio struggled without its third-leading scorer.

Scoring against the Fever could be even more difficult. Indiana is holding opponents to 73.8 points per game and 41.6 percent from the field, ranked second in the league in both categories.

"We are playing a very good team in Indiana so we have to go in there focused," Hammon said. "The biggest thing is we have to match their physicality."

Fever forward Tamika Catchings, who scored 25 points and matched her franchise high with six 3-pointers Tuesday, is averaging 24.2 points and 8.0 rebounds in the last six games. She was limited to 12 points in the only matchup with San Antonio this year, but Katie Douglas scored 22 as Indiana won 79-57 on June 3.

In the teams' last meeting in San Antonio on July 23, 2009, Catchings was 0 for 9 from the field and held scoreless in a 84-65 loss.

The Silver Stars lead the all-time series 10-9.