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Bird, Storm force decisive Game Three

Sep 22, 2008 - 1:07 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm were glad to be home.

Bird scored 20 points and Sheryl Swoopes added 16 as the Storm staved off elimination with a 64-50 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in Game Two of their Western Conference semifinals series on Sunday night.

Camille Little scored 13 points for Seattle, which suffered a 77-69 loss in the opening game of the best-of-three series on the road and will host Game Three here Tuesday night. The Storm will be aiming to avoid their fourth straight opening-round playoff exit.

Seattle posted a league-best 16-1 home record in the regular season, including 10 straight since a loss to the Connecticut Sun on June 16.

Bird set the tone by shooting 7-of-19 from the field, including 3-of-9 from the arc, for the Storm, who held the Sparks to just 24 percent from the field through three quarters. Los Angeles shot 31 percent (16-of-52) from the floor for the game.

It was a low-scoring first half for both squads. Seattle held a 26-15 lead at halftime and went on to outscore Los Angeles, 24-14, in the third quarter en route to a 21-point lead heading into the final period.

DeLisha Milton-Jones and Lisa Leslie scored 11 points apiece for the Sparks.