AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Cheryl Ford had 23 points and 10 rebounds to help the Detroit Shock overcome a playoff-record 41 points from Tamika Whitmore and eliminate the Indiana Fever with a 98-83 victory in Game 2 of their first-round series.

Detroit, which fell five points short of Los Angeles’ league record for points in a playoff game, advances to the second round for the first time since winning the 2003 league title. In 2004, they lost to New York in the first round, and they were swept last year by Connecticut.

Whitmore broke Lisa Leslie’s postseason scoring record of 35 points, set in 2001 against Sacramento. She was 15-of-25 from the floor and 10-for-10 from the line before fouling out with 30 seconds left.

Indiana lost All-Star Tamika Catchings for much of the second half after she hit her head on the floor while battling Plenette Pierson for a loose ball.

Catchings returned midway through the final period, but turned the ball over the first time she touched it, and finished with just 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

Pierson added 20 points for Detroit.

The Shock will face either Connecticut or Washington in the Eastern Conference finals, starting Thursday.

Detroit trailed 64-63 heading into the fourth, but Pierson scored six points in the first two minutes of the period to help the Shock take a 71-66 lead.

Moments later, Ford scored seven straight points, putting the Shock up 80-70 with six minutes left, and Indiana never threatened again. Whitmore was the only Fever player to score in the final period until Catchings hit a free throw with 3:40 to go.

Swin Cash added 17 points, eight assists and nine rebounds for the Shock, which had six players in double figures.

Indiana got off to a quick start, scoring the first six points, but the Shock were within 20-18 at quarter’s end and took their first lead early in the second quarter.

Detroit led 38-34 at the intermission, dishing out 14 assists to only seven for the Fever. The Shock also forced 10 turnovers and drew 12 fouls in the half while only committing five of each.

Indiana regained the lead midway through the period, and the teams traded the advantage throughout the rest of the quarter.

The Fever led 64-60 in the final seconds of the period, but Deanna Nolan banked in a 3-pointer as time expired to pull the Shock within one.

There were six technical fouls in the very physical game, including a pair of double technicals for shoving incidents, and Pierson stayed on the floor for several moments after being hit by a Whitmore elbow with 4:30 left in the game.

AP-ES-08-19-06 2044EDT