Becky Hammon drops 37 as San Antonio Silver Stars beat Los Angeles Sparks 82-65 – WNBA Recap
Becky Hammon hammered a season-high 37 points, including 17 in the crucial last quarter, as San Antonio Silver Stars defeated Los Angeles Sparks 82-65 on Tuesday night at the Staples Center. With the win, the Silver Stars clinched
the final playoff berth in the Western Conference. It was second consecutive loss for the Sparks, who have already been eliminated from the postseason contention.
After a rough two weeks, the stars were definitely aligned for Hammon this time as she scored 26 of her points in the second half of the game. The 5 ft 6 in guard dished out five assists, grabbed four rebounds and stole the ball
twice in more than 34 minutes of action. The six-time WNBA All-Star ended the game on 14 for 19 shooting from the floor, including 4 for 7 from three-point range and 5 for 5 from free throw line.
"I was due for a big game here," Hammon said.
Tully Bevilaqua came off the bench with 11 points and five rebounds while Jia Perkins had 10 points, five rebounds and two steals in the victory.
Tina Thompson led Los Angeles with 18 points, six rebounds, three steals and three dimes. DeLisha Milton-Jones added 16 points and eight rebounds while Kristi Toliver contributed 13 points in the loss. Candace Parker finished with
12 points, four rebounds and four assists for the Sparks.
San Antonio shot 56.4 percent (31 for 55) from the field, including 47.1 percent (8 for 17) from three-point range. Los Angeles shot only 38.4 percent (28 for 73) from the floor, including 18.2 percent (4 for 22) beyond the arc.
The Silver Stars committed 16 turnovers while Sparks committed only 10. San Antonio grabbed 34 rebounds as compared to 24 by the hosts.
Los Angeles got off to a good start on their home court and held a 16-13 lead with 03:23 to go in the opening period. The Silver Stars then went on a 7-2 run, capped by five consecutive points from Hammon, and carried a 20-18 lead
into the second frame. San Antonio limited Sparks to 16 points in the second quarter and stretched their lead to 39-34 at halftime.
Los Angeles came right back into the game in the third quarter and went ahead by 54-49 with 04:23 remaining in the quarter. San Antonio however scored the last seven points of the period and converted their deficit into a 56-54
lead, heading into the fourth.
With Hammon in full flow, the Sparks did not get any closer than three points in the fourth quarter allowing San Antonio to book their place in the post season.
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