Mercury keep heat on

PHOENIX – Motor City, here comes the WNBA’s Motor Team again.

Even with their Ferrari-like offense operating in only second gear, the Phoenix Mercury survived an elimination game to set up a winner-take-home-the-trophy WNBA finals Game 5 on Sunday in Detroit.

This series with the defending champion Detroit Shock has seen wild swings. The Mercury lost Game 3 with horrific shooting Tuesday, when they missed 26 of 31 3-pointers, their signature shot, and shot 34.7 percent overall. Thursday night, they won 77-76, despite another cold-shooting game (38 percent) and sluggish pace.

After blowing a nine-point lead in the second quarter and shooting 34 percent from the field and 5 of 15 from long range in the first half, the Mercury found their shooting touch and roared back from a nine-point deficit in the third quarter.

That held off a championship celebration on Phoenix’s court by the Shock and talk of a Detroit dynasty – at least until Sunday.

Cappie Pondexter scored 26 points and put the Mercury ahead with jump shots twice in the final 41.9 seconds. Her final basket put the Mercury ahead for good with 21.7 seconds left. Shannon Johnson shot an airball at the buzzer for the Shock.

“I think this game displayed how we played all year,” Pondexter said. “We’re a fighting team. We won’t stop until the end.”

Diana Taurasi added 20 points to help the comeback with Karl Malone, father of the Shock’s Cheryl Ford, watching in a courtside seat.

Phoenix’s refusal to lose overcame an inspired performance by Detroit’s Plenette Pierson. She came off the bench to score 12 points in 12 minutes in the first half and ignite a Detroit rally from a 25-16 deficit. She finished with 23 points.