Sparks 76, Lynx 75

LOS ANGELES (AP) Even when pushed to the limit, the Los Angeles Sparks keep finding ways to win.

Lisa Leslie put in her own rebound with less than a second left Tuesday night to give the Sparks a 76-75 win over the Minnesota Lynx.

``Anytime we play this team, we know it's going to go down to the wire,'' said Sparks forward DeLisha Milton, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds. ``No matter how things look during the course of the game, we always find a way to get the stop or the bucket we need.''

Tamecka Dixon intercepted Svetlana Abrosimova's inbound pass to seal the Sparks' seventh straight victory.

Leslie led the Sparks (7-0) with 19 points, while Dixon scored 16 and Nikki Teasley finished with 14 points and 10 assists.

After trailing for most of the second half, the Lynx tied it at 73 on Abrosimova's 3-point play with 53.9 seconds to go. Leslie made the first of two free throws with 25.9 seconds remaining, putting Los Angeles ahead 74-73, but she missed the second. Minnesota's Sheri Sam pulled down the rebound, and the Lynx called time out.

Katie Smith made two free throws with 12.5 seconds left to give Minnesota (3-3) a 75-74 lead, setting up Leslie's game-winner.

``We struggled a little tonight, but we found a way to persevere,'' Sparks coach Michael Cooper said after his team continued its best start since 2001, when it won its first nine. ``It's not so much of what they did, it was our inability to get into rhythm. We were a little off tonight, but champions always find a way to win.''

Abrosimova scored 20 points and Smith had 18 for the Lynx, who have lost their last 14 games against the Sparks.

``Rebounds and free throws cost us tonight's game,'' Smith said. ``We put ourselves in the position to win, but we just couldn't get a handle on it.''

The Sparks trailed 34-32 at halftime, but opened the second half with a 9-3 run and later went on an 8-2 run, taking a 57-51 lead with 8:31 left.

Los Angeles then led by at least four and as many as nine until the Lynx' 7-2 run pulled them within three, 69-66, with 2:18 remaining.

Smith's first-half 3-pointer was the 300th of her WNBA career, making her the first player in league's seven-year history to reach that milestone.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)