ive opponent since June, when he lost to Djokovic in the French Open final.N

LOS ANGELES -- Candace Parker watched video of herself in every game the Sparks played against Minnesota this season.She didnt like what she saw.Parker brought a different mentality into Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, leading an aggressive charge from the opening tip in the Sparks 92-75 victory Friday night that put the franchise on the brink of its first championship since 2002.That was a product of me being non-existent in every game we played Minnesota this year, Parker said.She scored 24 points, Nneka Ogwumike added 21 and the Sparks took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.Weve worked too hard to get to this point and just be there, Parker said. We had a game plan of just going to the basket and being aggressive.The Sparks can close out the Lynx with a victory in Game 4 on Sunday.Los Angeles built a 22-point advantage in the opening quarter when it shot 60 percent in the game played at Galen Center on the Southern California campus, down the street from their home court at Staples Center.Its all on the want to of Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker to start the game. Their want-to was on `10, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. Im not sure what we were expecting when we started the game but it wasnt that.Parker and Ogwumike were especially devastating in a 2 1/2-minute sequence in the first. They combined to score 12 straight points with Ogwumike hitting consecutive 3-pointers and Los Angeles taking a 21-6 lead.I didnt see it coming, a clearly peeved Reeve said. They won the persistency battle. We didnt rise to the occasion. We were soft, we were feeble.Rebekkah Brunson and Sylvia Fowles led Minnesota with 14 points each. Lindsay Whalen added 11, and Maya Moore had nine points and seven rebounds. The Lynx had 13 turnovers.Theyre extremely good converting those turnovers into points, Moore said. If you give that much of a lead to a great team, its going to be really hard to come back.The Lynx cut the deficit to 48-40 at halftime, outscoring the Sparks 10-0 to end the second.Youre not going to sustain that, Sparks coach Brian Agler said about his teams initial intensity, but I also think a lot of that had to do with Minnesota. They experimented there for a while and finally got a group that was working.It didnt last long.With their former and current league MVPs leading the way, the Sparks dominated inside. Parker and Ogwumike helped Los Angeles to a 52-32 advantage in the paint.Parker and Ogwumike had nine rebounds each, helping the Sparks to a 29-24 edge on the boards.Essence Carson added 16 points, and Alana Beard finished with 15 for Los Angeles.The Lynx made a run in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Sparks 11-2 to close to 81-71. Los Angeles answered with eight straight points to go up 89-71. Parker hit a layup and fed Ogwumike on a fast-break sandwiched around baskets by Beard.We just didnt have enough consecutive possessions on both sides of the ball to create enough of a run, Moore said.Minnesota is seeking its fourth title in six years. The Lynx evened the series with a 19-point victory in Game 2 on their home court.ALL-WNBALeague MVP Ogwumike was the only unanimous pick for the all-WNBA first team, receiving 39 first-place votes and 195 points from the media panel.New York center Tina Charles was second with 38 first-team votes and 193 points. Guards Maya Moore of Minnesota and Sue Bird of Seattle, and forward Elena Delle Donne completed the first team.Forwards Angel McCoughtry of Atlanta and Breanna Stewart of Seattle were selected to the second team along with guards Diana Taurasi of Phoenix and Jewell Loyd of Seattle, and center Fowles.PURPLE ONELynx F Natasha Howard scored six points, but made a bigger statement with footwear. She sported the purple symbol associated with the late singer Prince on her white shoes.McCARVILLE INJURYLynx F-C Janel McCarville hurt her back and didnt return.UP NEXTGame 4 is Sunday night at Staples Center.Discount Shoes UK Online .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. Shoes UK Outlet . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. http://www.discountukshoes.com/ . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. Wholesale Shoes UK Authentic . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. Cheap Nike Shoes UK Online . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home.LONDON -- Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori tend to linger when they get together. Their latest matchup set a record.Murray survived the longest three-set match in ATP Finals history when he prevailed against Nishikori 6-7 (9), 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday.They needed 3 hours, 20 minutes, to separate themselves. The first set alone took 85 minutes.Murray, 2-0 in his group, can clinch a semifinal berth for the first time in four years with a win over U.S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka on Friday.Wawrinka eliminated Marin Cilic from contention 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) in an almost two-hour-long late match.Losing to No. 5-ranked Nishikori would have hurt Murrays chances of holding off Novak Djokovic to keep the No. 1 ranking.Murray relieved Djokovic of the top ranking last week, and Murray believed it would be a fitting end to the year to play the Serb for the ranking and ATP Finals title on Sunday in the final.For the tournament and stuff, for everyone interested in tennis, that would probably be the perfect way to finish the year, Murray said.For me and, Im sure, for Novak, both of our goals would be to try to win the event. It doesnt change for us as players.Murray admitted he abused himself on court more than usual while trying to figure out how to overcome Nishikori.He could have won in two sets, for sure, Murray said.He moves the ball around extremely well, better than anyone maybe. It was physically tough. I wasnt able to dictate many of the points, it felt. More so in the third set I was able to. But not in the first couple of sets. I was having to run, fight, get as many balls back as I could.I feel OK right now. Its normally the next day when you feel stiff and sore, but theres hoppefully three days left in the season, and Ill give my best to get through as many matches as I can.ddddddddddddFor all of Murrays achievements this year, this was the first time he played a top-five opponent since June, when he lost to Djokovic in the French Open final.Nishikori was one of only three players to beat him in the intervening five months, edging a five-setter in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. They also went five sets and almost five hours in the Davis Cup in March.Nishikori extended their first set on Wednesday when he saved a set point at 6-5 down, but he needed four set points to take the opener on a wide forehand by Murray.Murray immediately broke to start the second. Nishikori tied it at 4-4. But Murray broke straight back, and had to save two set points to force a decider.Murray has played more matches than ever this season and he looked drained, but Nishikoris decision-making was clouded by fatigue, and he lost his serve in the third game.When a double fault made it 4-1 to Murray, the Scot finally had some breathing space and the end in sight.Nishikori showed commendable resolve to retrieve one break, but Murray served out at the second time of asking for his 21st successive win.Murray has a chance to match his best streak of 22, from June to August, when he plays Wawrinka on Friday to end group action.Wawrinka saved one set point in the first set, and dominated the tiebreaker. Cilic broke to open the second, but Wawrinka got him back and served too good in the tiebreaker again for his 11th win in 13 matchups with Cilic. ' ' '