Comets Tail Off Against Sparks

HOUSTON —  Whenever the Sparks and Comets get together for some hoops it’s usually not just a game, it’s an event.

But rarely has Los Angeles made four-time WNBA champion Houston look as ordinary as the Comets did in the Sparks’ 68-55 victory Monday, before 12,697 at the Compaq Center.

Opening the season with consecutive victories, the Sparks--the 2001 champions--defensively bottled up the Comets so effectively they might as well been scrimmaging North Texas State.

Houston forward Sheryl Swoopes, the 2000 most valuable player playing her first game in a year after recovering from a torn ligament in her right knee, had 15 points. But the dominant player on the floor was 2001 league MVP Lisa Leslie, who had her second consecutive double-double with 22 points and 17 rebounds.

Even Coach Michael Cooper, who is haunted by his team’s previous failures against the Comets, couldn’t bring himself to crow.

“This is a good Houston Comet team that still has the pride of a champion. They came out and gave us everything they had,” Cooper said.

“But was this a statement game? No. It was a good game to start the road trip. We’re going to have to see this team again once they get their chemistry jelling, and we know it will be harder fought game.”

It should have been on Monday, but it was hardly memorable.

Houston, riding the emotional return of Swoopes for their season opener, made 10 of their first 12 shots. They only made nine shots (out of 40) for the rest of the game. When Houston had the ball, the Sparks switched their defenses so quickly and consistently the Comets always seemed to be shooting with no view of the basket.

Another reason Houston had to work so hard was it got no relief from its bench. The five starters scored all 55 points. And the Sparks had no problems on the boards, outrebounding the Comets, 41-24.

“Our defense has always been the key for our victories,” said DeLisha Milton, who had 15 points while shuttling back and forth on defense between Swoopes and Tina Thompson. “And the thing I love about this team the most, everyone takes it upon herself to be a defensive stopper. You can look at our faces; when we get beat on a play we’re mad.”

Houston Coach Van Chancellor said it was the best defense he had seen Los Angeles play against his team in the last two seasons.

“They are tough and really, really good,” Chancellor said. “They were in championship form. We’ve got to try and catch them. They’re already there.”

The Comets came into the game with a 15-11 franchise record against the Sparks. But Los Angeles won four of the five meetings last year, including a 2-0 sweep in the playoffs.

That was without Swoopes in the Houston lineup.

“Sheryl brings a whole new dimension and perspective to our team,” said Thompson, who had 14 points. “It was very obvious she wasn’t there last year. But she’s added a lot of things to her game that complement our game, as well as our team camaraderie and chemistry. We had to have her back because the level of talent and greatness she exudes.”

That confidence Swoopes inspires was evident early. Houston bolted to an 8-0 lead, helped by two Thompson three-pointers. The Comets’ lead eventually grew to 22-14 as Swoopes had six points, three rebounds and four assists with 11:29 to go in the half.

After that the Comets might has well been throwing the ball against a wall.

The Sparks stormed past Houston with a 23-4 run, stretched over nine minutes, to take a 37-26 lead. Leslie scored 10 of her 18 first-half points during the outburst.

“I think the one advantage the Comets always had over us is they knew how to win,” Leslie said. “But once you win a championship, we know those different levels, and how to stay in tune with them. We are a veteran team now. We’re very seasoned and poised. We’re not going to beat ourselves anymore.

“When they jumped out on us we were like, ‘Be patient, don’t force it, just stick with our game plan.’ And we did that.”

Swoopes made the final two baskets of the half to keep Houston in sight, 37-30. But that’s all Houston could do in the second half--watch the Sparks snatch away the game the same way the Sparks snatched away their title last year.

“We’re a lot better team than we showed offensively and defensively today,” Swoopes said.