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Monday, Aug. 7 8:00pm ET
Comets' Thompson thrives in Phoenix | |||||
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BOX SCORE
PHOENIX (AP) -- Tina Thompson, back at the scene of her MVP performance in the WNBA All-Star Game, had 26 points and 10 rebounds as the Houston Comets beat the Phoenix Mercury 71-54 Monday night. Both teams earned playoff berths earlier, but the loss consigned the Mercury (19-12) to fourth place in the Western Conference. Game 1 of the Mercury's first-round series with Los Angeles begins Friday in Phoenix, and the Comets (26-5) begin the first round at Sacramento on Saturday. Sheryl Swoopes had 19 points and eight rebounds for the Comets. Brandy Reed scored 21 points and Jennifer Gillom 11 for Phoenix. Three-time scoring champion Cynthia Cooper was held to just six points -- only the second time in her career she didn't score in double figures. Cooper also had six points in an 80-62 loss to Phoenix on June 3. The Comets won their fourth straight road game to finish 13-3 away from the Compaq Center this season and took the series against Phoenix, 2-1. Reed had a career-high 32 points in that game, but in the next one last month Swoopes held her to six on 2-for-11 shooting. Swoopes had seven points during a 17-0 run by Houston midway through the second half. The Mercury, who never led, tied it at 41 on a free throw by Dena Head 7:39 into the second half. But Thompson gave the Comets the lead with a three-point play 17 seconds later, and in the next seven minutes Swoopes made three jumpers and a field goal, Thompson made her fifth 3-pointer in five tries and Cooper made a basket. The Comets moved to a 58-41 lead with 5:06 to play. Thompson, who had an All-Star double-double in the America West Arena three weeks ago, had seven points as the Comets took a 10-4 lead. But in the next 2:12, Gillom had a three-point play and made a layup that tied it at 10. No more than five points separated the teams until Swoopes threw a floor-length pass to Cooper for a layup and a 39-33 Houston lead 3:54 into the second half. | ALSO SEE WNBA Scoreboard RECAPS Orlando 65 Washington 57
Houston 71 AUDIO/VIDEO   Jennifer Gillom works under the basket to get the easy bucket.avi: 669 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Cynthia Cooper dishes to Tina Thompson in the key.avi: 771 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 | |||||