Sparks win in the clutch

Murriel Page made two free throws with 47.3 seconds remaining to give the Los Angeles Sparks a 66-64 victory over the visiting Charlotte Sting on Saturday.

Chamique Holdsclaw had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Sparks (16-5), who used their fifth victory in six games to extend their lead over second-place Houston in the WNBA’s Western Conference to 3 1/2 games.

Los Angeles had to play the final quarter without Lisa Leslie, who was ejected for bumping a referee with her elbow at the end of the third period. Leslie finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.

Sun 82, Mercury 77: At Uncasville, Conn., Katie Douglas scored 22 points and Connecticut rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat Phoenix.