HOUSTON — Sheryl Swoopes scored 28 points and Tina Thompson hit a clinching 25-footer in the second overtime Sunday to lead the Houston Comets over the Utah Starzz 83-77 to tie the best-of-three series.
The Comets rebounded from a 66-59 loss in Game 1 of the first-round WNBA playoff series. The deciding game will be played Tuesday at Compaq Center. The winner will face the defending champion Los Angeles Sparks for the Western Conference title.
The teams were tied 65-65 at the end of regulation and 73-all after the first overtime.
Janeth Arcain got the tip to open the second overtime and hit an 18-foot jumper that put the four-time WNBA champion Comets ahead for good. With the Comets leading 79-73, Thompson hit her long 3-pointer to complete a 9-0 start to the overtime.
Thompson had 18 points and 14 rebounds. Arcain finished with 17 points.
Marie Ferdinand led the Starzz with 22 points and Adrienne Goodson added 20. Natalie Williams had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Margo Dydek scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
In the first overtime, Arcain hit two jumpers to give the Comets a 71-69 lead. Adrienne Goodson's jumper gave Utah a 73-71 lead but Thompson's tip in with 1:31 left in the extra period led to another five minutes.
With the scored tied at 65-all, the Starzz played for the final shot but Marie Ferdinand was blocked near the basket. She lost the ball and Swoopes grabbed it with 3.6 seconds to play.
Arcain threw away the ball as time expired in regulation play.
The teams traded baskets at the beginning of the second half, at one point making a combined seven straight shots. Houston led 52-50 with 10:33 to go when Swoopes left the court with an injury.
The Starzz led 60-54 with 4:30 to play and held the lead until Arcain's jump shot with 23 seconds left tied it at 65.
The Comets fell behind 19-9 in the first half before starting a 22-11 run to end the half with a 31-30 lead, their first advantage in the series.
Houston cut the lead to 27-26 with 3:05 left in the half on a 6-foot jumper by Thompson.
A free throw by Natalie Williams and Adrienne Goodson's basket gave the Starzz a 30-26 lead before Swoopes, who had nine points in the rally, completed a three-point play with 1:21 left and rookie Michelle Snow's 15-foot jumper with 41 seconds left gave Houston its halftime lead.