Toliver helps Sky close in on 1st playoff berth

Kristi Toliver scored 19 points, Candice Dupree and Mistie Bass had 15 each and the Chicago Sky beat the Indiana Fever 86-79 Thursday night to close in on the franchise's first playoff berth.

Jia Perkins added 10 points for the Sky (16-17), who led by seven entering the final quarter and stretched the advantage to 14. The Fever didn't get closer than seven again as Chicago beat the regular-season Eastern Conference champions for the first time in four meetings this season.

The Sky hold the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, one-half game ahead of Connecticut and Washington.

Katie Douglas scored 25 points to lead Indiana (22-11). Tamika Catchings had 16 points and Shay Murphy added 10.

Bass scored eight points in the first 4 minutes of the third quarter as the Sky opened the second half with a 10-2 run to take a 47-37 lead. The advantage twice reached 12 points before the Fever chiseled away and trimmed it to as few as five late in the period.

Each team took turns with early surges. Indiana got some distance with Douglas' driving bucket and Catchings' 3-pointer on the way to a 19-12 lead by end of the first quarter.

Toliver led a rally in the second quarter comeback, started a 15-0 run with three consecutive 3-pointers. She had 13 points in the quarter to help the Sky took a 37-35 halftime lead.