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Jackson leads Storm to win over Comets

Seattle's Sue Bird drives to the basket as Houston's Kedra Holland-Corn defends during second-half play. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press
Seattle's Sue Bird drives to the basket as Houston's Kedra Holland-Corn defends during second-half play. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

Lauren Jackson scored 26 points and blocked two shots in the final 10 seconds to lead the Seattle Storm to a 67-63 win over the Houston Comets on Saturday night in Seattle.

With Seattle holding a 64-63 lead, Jackson blocked Michelle Snow’s layup attempt with 10 seconds left. After Sheri Sam’s free throw put Seattle up 65-63, Jackson got a piece of Sheryl Swoopes jump shot with less than 5 seconds left.

Kamila Vodichkova added two free throws for Seattle to secure the win.

Playing with a sore back, Jackson added nine rebounds and finished with five blocks for the Storm, who won their fifth-straight game and improved to 10-1 at Key Arena.

Houston lost its sixth straight road game. Swoopes had 23 points and Tina Thompson added 15.

Trailing 50-45, Houston went on a 16-5 run to take a 61-55 lead with 4 minutes remaining.

But 3-pointers from Jackson and Sue Bird brought Seattle back and two free throws from Vodichkova with 58.8 seconds left gave the Storm a 64-63 lead.

Coming off one of its worst shooting performances of the season in Thursday’s 59-54 win over Indiana, Seattle’s offense found its rhythm early in the game. Down by two, the Storm used a 17-4 run to take a 27-16 lead.

But Houston switched to a zone defense to slow the Storm and closed the first half on a 16-4 run to take a 32-31 halftime lead.

Mercury 71, Fever 56: At Phoenix, Anna DeForge had 21 points and seven rebounds, and Phoenix beat Indiana, despite missing top overall draft pick Diana Taurasi in the second half due to a bruised right thigh.

Taurasi, who ranks fourth in the league in scoring with an 18.1-point average, finished with eight points, five assists and two rebounds in 18 minutes.

Sting 70, Mystics 41: At Charlotte, N.C., Olympian Dawn Staley scored 19 points in her last home game before heading to Athens, helping Charlotte snap a four-game losing streak with a victory over Washington.

Sun 69, Silver Stars 55: At Uncasville, Conn., Nykesha Sales broke out of shooting slump with a season-high 26 points to lead Connecticut past San Antonio.

Liberty 78, Shock 69: At New York, Elena Baranova had 16 of her 21 points in the second half to lead New York to a victory over Detroit in the Liberty’s debut at Radio City Music Hall.

New York is playing six home games at Radio City because of next month’s Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden.