Sweet Land Of Liberty

Down 14 points after a miserable first half, the New York Liberty were confident they still had a shot against the Houston Comets in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

No one figured it would be a 50-footer from beyond midcourt at the buzzer by Teresa Weatherspoon, giving the Liberty a 68-67 victory Saturday and sending the series to a decisive third game.

"When it left my hands, I knew it was good," Weatherspoon said. "I was just praying that it would go in. I've never done this before in a game."

It hit the backboard, then bounced through the net, setting off a celebration among the Liberty and stunning the Comets and a Compaq Center sellout crowd of 16,285 that had come to celebrate Houston's third straight WNBA title.

"All I can say is that we work on that shot every day and it finally won a game for us," Liberty coach Richie Adubato said. "The first time I've ever won a game with a lucky shot. Maybe it was due me after all of these years, because I've lost about six like that."

The desperation shot came after Houston's Tina Thompson had put the Comets ahead 67-65 with a swirling 9-foot jumper with 2.4 seconds to go.

Weatherspoon took the inbounds pass, ran down the right side of the court and heaved the ball before the midcourt line.

"The positive thing is we have another chance," Thompson said. "It was just a Hail Mary and she made it."

Game 3 is Sunday afternoon.

The loss broke a 14-game home winning streak for Houston, which led by as many as 18 points in the first half. It's also the first playoff loss in eight home games for Houston.

"We've had a lot of bounce back in us all year," Comets coach Van Chancellor said. "We are disappointed but we'll bounce back."

"I thought when Tina hit the shot we were in good shape," he said. "I didn't know Teresa Weatherspoon would hit a prayer. It's probably the most heartbreaking loss I've ever had."

Crystal Robinson, who led the Liberty with 21 points, led a 19-3 New York run to start the second half, erasing a 14-point halftime deficit.

"We knew we had a chance," Robinson said. "I kept shooting and luckily they kept falling."

Houston, which got 15 points from Thompson and 14 from Sheryl Swoopes, had dominated the first half.

"Where we probably lost the ballgame was not the last shot but the fact that we gave up 45 points in the second," Chancellor said.

Robinson, who led the WNBA in 3-pointers during the regular season, was fouled by Swoopes attempting a long-range basket on New York's first possession of the second half and made three free throws.

Weatherspoon followed with a 3-pointer and Robinson then scored the Liberty's next 13 points, including a 3-pointer with 12:25 to go that gave New York its first lead of the game, 42-40.

Houston missed its first five shots of the second half nd New York held the Comets without a basket until Janeth Arcain's three-point play with 11:41 remaining.

When she made the free throw, Houston again was ahead, 43-42, starting an 11-1 Houston run that included five points from Thompson and four from Swoopes.

New York bounced back, with a 3-pointer from Becky Hammon, another basket by Johnson and a field goal and two free throws from Sue Wicks to tie the game at 52 with 6:32 left. The Liberty went ahead 54-53 on two free throws by Hammon.

Swoopes hit a 3-pointer and Arcain followed with a layup with 2:38 left to put Houston up 62-58 but New York wouldn't fold.

Kym Hamptom was fouled by Swoopes while making a basket and made the free throw, then hit a 15-footer to put New York back in front 63-62 with 1:24 left.

But Swoopes was fouled on the next trip down the floor and made both free throws with 1:05 to go. On the next possession, Cynthia Cooper, the league's leading scorer but with a miserable 1-for-10 shooting game Saturday, stole the ball from Johnson. Thompson was fouled with 28 seconds left and made one of two free throws, leaving Houston up 65-63.

Robinson tied the game with a basket with 16 seconds left, setting up Thompson's jumper that Houston thought would be the clincher.

"I thought, `Well, that is the game,"' Wicks said. "Then I looked on the floor and Spoon was sitting on the floor just looking around. It wasn't until everyone jumped on her that I knew it was good."

"I've never experienced (this) before," Cooper said. "Good news is we have a second chance to play better."

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