SPARKS REPORT

at Houston, 5:30 PDT

* Site--Compaq Center, Houston.

* Records--Sparks 17-9, Comets 21-5.

* Record vs. Houston--1-1.

* Update--Twice this season the Sparks have had six-game winning streaks. Orlando Woolridge’s club could use another one, starting tonight. That would enable them to close out the regular season at 23-9, give them home-court advantage in a one-game playoff with Sacramento and end all discussion of WNBA tiebreaker rules. Tall order, though. Los Angeles hammered the Comets, 78-65, last month at the Great Western Forum, but it’s a different challenge before big, noisy crowds at Compaq Center. The Sparks have stalled out--briefly, Woolridge hopes. Their 82-80 loss at Sacramento on Tuesday night was their second in a row and third in the last four games. Houston had won seven in a row until the two-time WNBA champions were upended at New York on Sunday, 74-71. For all its offensive firepower, Houston is near the bottom in league rebounding statistics. The Comets are 10th (in a 12-team league) in offensive rebounding and eighth in total rebounding. To help correct that, Coach Van Chancellor had his team scrimmage an assortment of NBA players Tuesday, including Nick Van Exel. Afterward, Tina Thompson told the Houston Chronicle: “When you are 7-foot, 6-9, it definitely helps you prepare. We just couldn’t go up and get a rebound. We had to block guys out and they really got physical.” The Sparks conclude their three-game trip at Washington on Saturday.