AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- For once, the Detroit Shock will be rooting for the Connecticut Sun.

Normally, the teams are arch-rivals, but that will change for 24 hours because of Detroit's 55-40 victory Thursday night over the Indiana Fever.

"I have some friends on that team," Swin Cash said. "I'm going to be sending them a lot of messages, asking them to make my life easier."

Detroit (16-17) will clinch the fourth and final WNBA Eastern Conference playoff spot if Connecticut beats Washington on Friday. If the Mystics win, the spot will go to the winner of Saturday's Shock-Mystics game.

"We'll be cheering loudly for the Sun," Shock coach Bill Laimbeer said. "This is about making the playoffs -- we're not going to be bashful."

Detroit's victory came on the defensive end. Indiana's total was a season low, and it was a franchise record for fewest points allowed by Detroit. The Shock gave up 41 points against Sacramento in 1998.

"It was all about effort," said Cheryl Ford, who led Detroit with 14 points and 10 rebounds. "We knew what we had to do."

The Fever only scored three points in the last 12:05.

"We had too many turnovers and we gave up too many rebounds," Fever coach Brian Winters said. "We got beat."

The most spectacular defensive play came late, when All-Star guard Deanna Nolan blocked forward Jennifer Benningfield's breakaway layup from behind.

"I like doing that," Nolan said. "Give them the feeling that it is an easy layup, then get them at the last minute."

Nolan is generously listed in the game program at 6-foot -- only three inches shorter than Benningfield -- but at a more realistic 5-9 in the media guide.

"I guess I must be growing," she said with a grin.

Indiana (20-13) is locked into the East's second seed, and Winters felt that his team knew it had nothing to play for.

"I think that, for the first time in a while, we relaxed a little," he said. "When you play in these type of games, where one team is still fighting for their position, it is difficult. But that's not an excuse, because we're still paid to come and play."

Ruth Riley added 12 points for Detroit. Tamika Catchings had 13 points to lead Indiana.

The Fever led 23-22 at the half despite being outrebounded 15-8 in the first 20 minutes.

The Fever still led early in the second half, but Ford had eight points in a 12-6 spurt that put Detroit up 38-35 with 12:38 left. The advantage could have been bigger, but Ford, a 49-percent free-throw shooter, missed twice from the line.

After an Indiana basket, the Shock scored the next 11 points, including four from Plenette Pierson, to go ahead 49-37.