Mercury race past Shock with 19-5 closing spurt
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TULSA, Okla. -- DeWanna Bonner had 24 points and nine rebounds, Candice Dupree scored 20 and the Phoenix Mercury beat Tulsa 78-66 on Thursday night in the Shock's first game since their Dallas relocation announcement.
Phoenix trailed 61-59 with 5 minutes remaining but closed on a 19-5 spurt -- with Bonner, Dupree and Brittney Griner scoring all the points for the Mercury.
Griner had 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks for Phoenix (11-7), which has won nine of its 11 meetings with Tulsa at the BOK Center.
Odyssey Sims led Tulsa (10-9) with 16 points, 13 in the first half, and Plenette Pierson added 14. Tulsa has lost five in a row and eight of its last 10.
Tulsa led by 12 in the third quarter, but Phoenix closed on a 9-1 run to take a 55-53 lead, its first since it was 25-23. The Mercury outscored the Shock 47-26 in the second half in front of a sparse crowd.