Phoenix Mercury 80 vs. Los Angeles Sparks 80 – WNBA Game Second Half Analysis
After an intriguing first half which saw the Los Angeles Sparks come back from 16 points down late in the first frame to make it a three point contest at the break, the third quarter turned out to be a thriller. Candace Parker started the period with a layup and after Natasha Lacy responded with a jumper from the other end, Parker again slipped in a two. Diana Taurasi followed with a three point play to stretch Phoenix Mercury’s lead to eight points at 51-43.
However, living up to their trend of make a comeback, the Sparks reeled off a 9-2 run, capped by a Noelle Quinn jumper, to make it a one point game at 52-53 with 6:06 remaining. The game remained close during the rest of the period. Although Sparks never managed to take the lead or even tie the game, they never let Mercury ahead by more than five and finished the third quarter, two down at 62-60.
After an enticing third quarter, the stage was set for a grand finish in the fourth quarter and it certainly started like it. 21 seconds into the frame, J.Lavender canned a two to tie the game at 62. Nearly a minute later, she slipped another layup to again tie the game, this time at 64.
However, in the passage that followed Diana Taurasi took over the game and chipped in with 8 points in a 10-1 burst to propel Mercury to a 74-65 lead. Taurasi finished the spurt with two three pointers. Down by nine points, midway through the fourth, the home team bounced back yet again.
Sparks raced to 10-2 spurt and with 1:42 to go, they made it a one point game again at 75-76. Penny Taylor broke the shooting jinx for Mercury on the ensuing possession and nailed two free throws to create a three point cushion. Quinn however knocked down her fifth triple pointer of the night on the other end to tie the game at 78.
With 45 seconds to go, Taurasi again gave Mercury an 80-78 lead but missed a crucial free throw on the three point play. Tina Thompson, quiet for most of the night, then made the biggest play when she nailed a layup with 25 ticks to go and sent the game into overtime.
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