Sparks struggle on defense in 96-90 loss to Shock

Odyssey Sims scored 30 points, Glory Johnson and Skylar Diggins each had 18 points, and the Tulsa Shock beat the Sparks 96-90 on Tuesday night.

Johnson added nine rebounds as the Shock (11-19) snapped a two-game losing streak and moved to 2 1/2 games out of a playoff spot with four games remaining.

Sims scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, including consecutive baskets on a 3-pointer and a drive in the paint to complete a 19-8 run that put the game away. The Sparks pulled to 95-90 with eight seconds remaining, but were forced to foul.

Nneka Ogwumike scored a career-high 35 points and Candace Parker had 28 points, nine assists and four rebounds for the Sparks (13-16), who missed a chance to clinch a playoff berth.

Ogwumike had 24 points in the first half on 9-for-10 shooting, but Tulsa led 50-44 at the break. The 50 points matched Tulsa’s season high for the first half.

The Shock scored 60 points in the paint and had a 37-17 rebound advantage, including 16-3 on the offensive end. Ogwumike went 12 for 18 from the field and made all 11 of her free-throw attempts.