AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Candace Parker scored 21 points and DeLisha Milton-Jones added 19 before both were ejected after a scuffle in the final minute as the Los Angeles Sparks held on to beat the Detroit Shock 84-81 on Tuesday night.


The game turned ugly in the final seconds as a collision between Parker and Detroit's Plenette Pierson turned into a shoving match that saw players and coaches from both teams leave the bench.


Fast Facts

The Sparks snapped a five-game road losing streak and won for just the fourth time in their last 11 games overall.

Los Angeles led by as many as 21 points and held on for their first win in Detroit since 2004.

Detroit missed 14 straight field goals in the first half and shot just 37.3 percent for the game.

The Shock have lost consecutive games at home after starting the season 10-0 at the Palace.

-- ESPN.com research

Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn, who was involved in the Pistons-Pacers brawl on Nov. 19, 2004, as a Detroit broadcaster trying to break up the fight, appeared to shove Lisa Leslie to the floor at one point.

Parker, Milton-Jones, Pierson and Mahorn were all ejected, while Detroit's Cheryl Ford left the floor on a wheelchair after getting injured while trying to restrain Pierson.

Detroit rallied from 21 down but missed a chance to win the game in the final two minutes. The Shock have now lost two straight at home after starting the season 10-0 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Leslie finished with 10 points for Los Angeles, which swept the two-game season series.

Olympic teammate Katie Smith led the Shock with 20 points.

Detroit had a chance to go ahead in the final 90 seconds when Alexis Hornbuckle stripped the ball away from Parker, her former college teammate at Tennessee. Deanna Nolan, though, lost control of the ball on what could have been a go-ahead layup and then missed a defended jumper.

Leslie hit a short jumper as the shot clock expired, moving Los Angeles' advantage to 80-77 with 17 seconds left, then knocked a key rebound away from Nolan with eight seconds to go.

After the lengthy delay following the scuffle, Smith hit a 3-pointer to make it 82-81 with 2.3 seconds left, but Keisha Brown clinched the game from the line.

The Shock trailed 42-21 in the second quarter as they struggled to guard Parker. The rookie had 15 points in the half on 6-of-9 shooting despite constant attention from the defense.

Detroit, though, was able to take control of the game on the boards in the third quarter and cut the margin to 57-49 on Smith's 3-pointer late in the period.

The Sparks took a 62-52 lead into the fourth, but the Shock pulled within five on Hornbuckle's 3-pointer with 4:46 to play.






WNBA Scores
Tuesday, July 22nd
Sacramento 79 Final
Atlanta 66

Seattle 76 Final
Minnesota 73

LA Sparks 84 Final
Detroit 81

Indiana 60 Final
Chicago 68

Phoenix 89 0:16
Houston 91 4th Qtr