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Thursday, Jul. 20 12:00pm ET
Swoopes, Thompson lead Comets | |||||
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BOX SCORE
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Even the three-time defending champion Houston Comets need to play to stay sharp. Once the Comets shook off the effects of the WNBA All-Star break, Sheryl Swoopes had 19 points and 10 rebounds and All-Star Game MVP Tina Thompson added 17 points and 12 rebounds Thursday in a 74-56 victory over the Cleveland Rockers. "It took us awhile to get it back together," Thompson said. "Yesterday was the first time we practiced in four or five days." Swoopes scored nine points during a 17-4 run early in the second half that turned a 37-32 deficit into a 49-41 lead for the Comets (20-3). "I thought we really picked it up on defense," Comets coach Van Chancellor said. "We began to help each other, to sag and double-down. The whole game turned on our defense." Thompson had four of Houston's 11 steals. Monday night, she had 13 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Western Conference to a 73-61 triumph in the All-Star Game in Phoenix. Chasity Melvin had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead Cleveland (12-9), which had a four-game winning streak snapped. "They came out in the second half with a strong run and we didn't respond very well," Melvin said. "They are really tough to defend because they have so many great players." Two-time league MVP Cynthia Cooper, limping on a sprained right ankle that kept her from playing in the All-Star game on Monday night, still had 11 points and five assists to help the Comets win for the 11th time in 12 games. "We played a very solid basketball game for about 24 minutes," Rockers coach Dan Hughes said. "Unfortunately it is a 40-minute game and Houston controlled the last 16. There's a reason why they are 20-3." Swoopes shot just 1-for-8 from the field in the first half as the Comets struggled to get their offense going. The Rockers did not fare much better in the early going. All-Star guard Merlakia Jones missed her first six shots from the field and did not score until hitting a 14-foot jumper with 34.7 seconds left in the first half. She finished with eight points and shot 3-for-15 from the field overall. Cleveland, which led 35-32 at halftime, fell to 10-2 in games in which they have led at the break. Rockers guard Mery Andrade suffered a bruised larynx in a collision with Thompson with 1:23 to play in the first half. She played in the second half and finished with 12 points. "I guess I'm all right," Andrade said in a raspy voice. "I got an elbow right in the throat and it still feels weird. "We knew Houston would come out strong in the second half and we were prepared for it but just could not stop them. When they get all their all-stars playing together, helping each other, they are very tough to stop. Very tough." | ALSO SEE WNBA Scoreboard RECAPS Washington 85 Indiana 74
Houston 74
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