LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dearica Hamby scored 20 points, Kelsey Plum had 14 of her 18 in the fourth quarter and the Los Angeles Sparks held off the Washington Mystics 81-78 on Sunday night.
Rickea Jackson had 16 for the Sparks (18-20), who started the day 2 1/2 games behind Golden State for the last playoff spot. Hamby and Azura Stevens both had 12 rebounds.
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Kiki Irafen led the Mystics (16-25) with 22 points and 13 rebounds, the 15th double-double for the rookie. Sonia Citro added 12 points, Shakira Austin had 11 and Stefanie Dolson 10.
The Mystics, coming off a 37-point loss the night before that officially eliminated them from the playoffs, got off to a miserable start but pulled to 65-63 on Jade Melbourne’s basket with 4:22 remaining. Plum then scored eight-straight L.A. points on two 3-pointers and two free throws, and then Rae Burrell and Hamby had layups to push the Sparks’ lead to 77-67 with 1:56 to go.
Hamby also made a driving layup with 19.7 seconds left after Washington got back to 77-72.
The Mystics missed their first eight shots as the Sparks broke out to a 12-0 lead. Stefanie Dolson ended the drought with a 3-pointer at the 4:53 mark but the Sparks led 22-11 after one quarter.
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Washington came out hot in the second quarter and caught the Sparks at 22 but the Sparks surged again and led 40-31 at the half.
A 3-pointer from Cameron Brink and a layup by Burrell gave the Sparks their big lead, 52-38, with 3:17 left in the third quarter, which ended with the Sparks up 55-49. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Dolson hit a 3-pointer for Washington’s only lead, 56-55.
Former NBA star Pau Gasol was courtside with his daughter.
Mystics host Phoenix on Thursday, and Sparks play at Seattle on Monday.
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