Indianapolis, IN – Jantel Lavender led Los Angeles with 18 points off the bench while Candace Parker added 17 points and six rebounds in her return to the court as the Sparks downed the Indiana Fever, 74-64, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Nneka Ogwumike chipped in 14 points for the Sparks, who overcame 17 turnovers to win their third straight game.
Tamika Catchings and Karima Christmas totaled 17 and 13 points, respectively, to lead the Fever, and Erlana Larkins checked in with 11 points and 13 boards in the setback, Indiana's fourth straight against LA.
Parker, who sat out three games due to a wrist injury, didn't miss a beat out of the gate, as the All-Star center scored eight first-quarter points to pace the Sparks to a healthy 27-13 cushion.
The Fever trailed by 13 at halftime, 43-30, but pulled within five, 53-48, on a Catchings 3-pointer midway through the third.
Lavender, however, sparked an 8-2 run over the final three minutes to put LA on top, 64-52, and it was a double-digit margin the entire fourth quarter.
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