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Thursday, Jun. 22 7:30pm ET
Miracle make their point | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The Orlando Miracle knew they were much better than Saturday's 25-point loss to Indiana, one of four expansion teams. Guard Shannon Johnson even mentioned it to coach Carolyn Peck before Thursday night's game against Cleveland. Then the Miracle proved it on the court, beating the Eastern Conference-leading Rockers 77-64 behind strong performances from Nykesha Sales and Taj McWilliams. McWilliams had 22 points and 11 rebounds -- her first double-double of the season -- to lead four Orlando players in double figures. Sales scored 18 points, including 16 in the first half. Adrienne Johnson added 14 points and Cintia Dos Santos 10 as the Miracle shot 57 percent from the floor. "Coach came in and had us really pumped up," McWilliams said. "Actually, from this morning, we started something new. We wanted to focus in from the shootaround. We had our goals on the board already. Everybody was tuned in to what we needed to do. "It's a beautiful thing to see what we can do when we execute like that." Leading 37-30 at halftime, the Miracle (6-5) went on a 16-4 run to put away the Rockers (6-4). McWilliams had 10 points during that stretch, including two three-point plays, to take a 53-34 lead. "She was a monster," Johnson said of McWilliams. "She's a treat to play with. She worked very hard on both ends." Added Peck: "Taj definitely flexed her muscles inside and played well. Taj played like an All-Star. She's demonstrated that she's one of the best centers in the league." Sales helped Orlando take charge midway through the first half. She and Elaine Powell hit 3-pointers in an 8-0 run to give the Miracle a 29-17 lead. "I think they controlled the tempo of the game," Rockers coach Dan Hughes said. "We never got into a point where the tempo was to Cleveland's liking." Orlando, coming off a 79-54 loss to Indiana, snapped a two-game losing streak and pulled within a half-game of first place in the Eastern Conference. Reserve Helen Darling scored 15 points to lead the Rockers, who entered the game winning six of their last eight games. Chasity Melvin added 11 points. | ALSO SEE WNBA Scoreboard RECAPS Phoenix 90 Charlotte 57
Orlando 77 AUDIO/VIDEO   Nykesha Sales pulls up for two on the fast break.avi: 533 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Taj McWilliams goes inside for the hoop and foul.avi: 586 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Orlando's Adrienne Johnson goes coast to coast with the steal and score.avi: 678 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 | |||||