Sports: Cleveland bullies New York

Cleveland bullies New York

By Compiled from Times wires

CLEVELAND -- Usually, it's New Yorkers who get accused of being rude and pushy.

Rushia Brown scored 18 points and Cleveland's defense elbowed, grabbed, thumped and clamped down on New York from the outset Thursday night, sending the Rockers to a 56-43 victory over the Liberty in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final.

"We did play New York's game," Merlakia Jones said. "They're used to bullying people around."

Brown and her teammates seemed to surprise favored New York, outhustling, outrebounding, outmuscling and outplaying the East's regular-season champion from the opening tip.

"They were the aggressor," New York coach Richie Adubato said. "They did a great job on defense. They wanted the game more. They played hard-nosed, tough basketball and just took it to us."

Susie McConnell Serio, who will retire after the season, added 10 points and made two key three-pointers as Cleveland won its seventh straight home game before 11,686 at Gund Arena. Jones added 12 points and Chasity Melvin had nine rebounds for Cleveland.

The Rockers, who won seven games last season, continued their turnaround season under first-year coach Dan Hughes.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, where the Liberty has won 11 in a row.

"We stunk," said Tari Phillips, who led the Liberty with 11 points. "We did not play like the championship team that we are and the one we want to be."

New York shot 31 percent from the floor, and made just 8 of 30 shots after halftime.

Vickie Johnson, who averaged 12.3 points during the regular season and 15 in the playoffs, had two points on 1-for-14 shooting.

HOUSTON 77, LOS ANGELES 56: Sheryl Swoopes scored 22 points and Cynthia Cooper added 21, and the host Comets used a 17-0 run to take control in the Western Conference final opener.

The Sparks, with the best record at 28-4, were 3-0 against the Comets in the regular season. But Houston overpowered the Sparks with a 17-0 run that made it 19-4.

Cooper, held to 16 in Monday's playoff game against Sacramento, and Tina Thompson each had six points in the run. Cooper had 15 points and Swoopes 10 in the first half as Houston led 40-23.

"They've been trying to take away our championship for a few years now," Cooper said. "It always seems like we are the underdogs. Well, in this case, we are the underdogs because Los Angeles had the best regular-season record."

The Comets turned 16 first-half turnovers into 25 points.

SWOOPES NAMED MVP: Swoopes accomplished just about everything she set her mind to this season but she couldn't keep from crying as she accepted the league's most valuable player trophy.

"It seems like when I think things can't get any better, they get better," Swoopes said. "I have a lot of people to thank. The one thing I said, if I won the MVP trophy I wasn't going to cry."

Swoopes received 527 points and 38 first-place votes. Los Angeles center Lisa Leslie got 450 votes as the runner-up. Yolanda Griffith of Sacramento was third with 224 points and Natalie Williams of Utah fourth with 125 points. Cooper and Thompson finished fifth and sixth.

"To help the Houston Comets win three titles and then win this, that's makes it very special for me," Swoopes said.