Liberty 87, Sparks 79: “19”
New York dropped a bomb on Los Angeles and rode the fallout to a comfortable win
For much of the past few years, 19 was the surname of the virus that killed millions worldwide while exposing millions of shortcomings in humanity. In Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, 19 is a number you’re better off avoiding. The most deadly century in human history (so far!) started each year with 19. Few numbers lug the kind of dark weight 19 does. It’s true in life and it’s true in basketball.
Yesterday the New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 87-79 in L.A., in a game that was decided in the first quarter. Usually that’d be hyperbole, but in this case it’s true: after the teams were even 2-2, the Liberty ran off a 19-0 run. New York was ready to roll from the jump – again, that expression is usually an exaggeration. Not this time.
By the end of the opening frame the Liberty had made twice as many field goals as the home team, including five 3-pointers to L.A.’s zero, owned a two-to-one edge in assists and a nearly three-to-one advantage on the glass. They also held the Sparks nearly six minutes with a point in building their 21-2 lead. Jonquel Jones continued her run of strong play on both ends. After just two double-doubles in her first 19 games, if she’d scored just one more point in the Minnesota loss last week she’d be on a stretch of six straight.
All that led to a 14-point lead entering the second quarter and a fight that was over barely after it’d begun. Marine Johannés nailed a trio of triples, including one corner three where her form strongly resembled fellow Frenchperson and New York sniper Evan Fournier.
Just past the midpoint of the third, the Liberty were up 27. 19 years ago they were barely above .500 while the Sparks were arguably the best team in the league, led by arguably its top player in Lisa Leslie. Now New York has won nine of 11 to climb to the top of the East, while Los Angeles sits unconvincingly just outside the eighth seed. Today it’s Breanna Stewart who is, arguably, the best player in the league. You don’t see many players at the professional level self-assured enough to take this kind of look while on the move, much less make it.
But the play of the night went to the player whose far more likely to set someone else up for a highlight than chase one themselves.
The win keeps New York a game ahead of Connecticut for the best record in the East. They’ll face the Sparks in L.A. again tomorrow before ending their road trip with a revenge game against the Lynx, then head home for another test against league-best Las Vegas. This win was #19 on the season for the Liberty, yet another W keeping hopes and dreams alive. Maybe on their way to a championship they’ll put a new spin on a number that could use one.
