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CHICAGO -- This one looked like it was slipping away from the Washington Wizards. Then, in a flash everything changed. Bradley Beal came on strong late in regulation to finish with 26 points, Nene scored six of his 17 points in overtime and the Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 101-99 Tuesday to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Game 3 is Friday at Washington. "Weve got to come out like were down 0-1 or 0-2," said Beal, who scored 11 in the fourth quarter. "Weve got to have that sense of urgency and just that drive and that motivation like we did early. Weve got to be able to maintain that lead. Weve got to continue to stay poised." The Wizards couldnt maintain a 17-point first-quarter lead and had to rally from 10 down in the fourth. Nene scored the first six points in overtime after being held in check by Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah in regulation, and the Wizards hung on after Kirk Hinrich failed to convert at the foul line in the closing seconds of overtime. Noah had just hit two free throws when Beal missed a jumper with 18 seconds left. Jimmy Butler got the rebound and Chicago called time. Hinrich, a 76 per cent free throw shooter this season, had a chance to tie it after getting fouled by Nene on a drive with 2.4 seconds left. But his first attempt hit the rim. He deliberately missed the second, and Trevor Ariza grabbed the rebound to seal the win for Washington. "I went up there thinking I was going to knock them down," Hinrich said. "Tonight, I just couldnt do it. However, I really felt that I shouldve made the layup." D.J. Augustin led Chicago with 25 points but cooled off late in the game with Ariza guarding him. Taj Gibson had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Noah added 20 points and 12 boards, but the Bulls find themselves in a huge hole after dropping two at home. They blew a 13-point lead in Game 1 and couldnt hang on after rallying in this one. Both times, they struggled in the fourth quarter, and coach Tom Thibodeau bristled when asked if he might switch up his late-game rotation. "We look at everything," he said. "Unreal." John Wall had 16 points and seven assists for Washington. The Bulls appeared to be in good shape when they were leading 87-77 five minutes into the fourth. They were still leading, 91-85, when Beal shot the Wizards back into the game. He nailed a 3-pointer that made it 91-88 and added a floater to make it a one-point game. Then, with a chance to put Washington ahead, he hit 1 of 2 free throws with 52.9 seconds left to tie it at 91. Both teams had opportunities to win it in the closing seconds but couldnt convert. "I think we did a great job staying calm and composed," Wall said. "Early in the season, we would get rattled and guys would try to make plays one on one on their own. Tonight, we trusted in our offence like weve been doing." The Bulls were leading 87-77 after a driving layup by Noah and two free throws by Butler with 6:59 left regulation. But with Beal going off, the Wizards made a run. "I cant take a lot of credit for the fourth quarter," said Beal, who scored 11 in the fourth after quiet second and third quarters. "I think we got a lot of offensive rebounds and kickouts, and John hit me on a couple. I was fortunate to be able to knock down some, and I just stayed with it. NOTES: Only three teams have dropped Games 1 and 2 at home and won a series: the 1968-69 Lakers, 1993-94 Rockets and the 2004-05 Dallas Mavericks. ... Dikembe Mutombo presented the Defensive Player of the Year award to Noah, who hoisted the trophy above his head to loud cheers before the game. ... Thibodeau praises San Antonios Gregg Popovich and Phoenixs Jeff Hornacek after they took the top two spots in the Coach of the Year vote. As for the guy who finished third? "Hes terrible," he joked. Thibodeau, of course, took the third spot after guiding the Bulls to 48 wins. It might have been his best coaching job yet, with another knee injury curtailing Derrick Roses comeback and Luol Deng getting traded away. Craig Adams Jersey . - Aroldis Chapman, with two black eyes, has returned to the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse four days after being hit in the face by a line drive. Marty Mcsorley Jersey . Second-seeded Sloane Stephens of the United States made lighter work of her day as she beat 2009 champion and Swiss wild card Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-3. Two seeds fell: No. 4 Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium lost to Katarzyna Piter of Poland 6-4, 6-2, and No. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/1021...nguins.html.com) - Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, Detroit Red Wings forward Tomas Tatar and New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo were named the NHLs players of the week on Monday. Casey DeSmith Jersey . The goals took Liverpools tally in the Premier League this season to 70, overtaking Manchester City as the top scorers, and left the fourth-place team just four points behind league leader Chelsea. Ron Schock Jersey . Granlund scored 2:04 into the first period. Max Reinhart, on his first NHL shift of the season, neatly stripped the puck from Zack Smith at the Senators blue-line. As he moved in, his attempted shot deflected into the slot where Granlund buried a shot past Craig Anderson.GIBRALTAR, Gibraltar - With a firefighter in goal, a customs agent anchoring the defence, a police officer and store worker roaming the midfield and a gym teacher on the attack, the best players from this rocky, 2.6-square mile territory will take on the world champions from Germany.European soccer qualifiers often feature mammoth mismatches, as minnows such as San Marino and Malta take on world powers including England, Spain and Italy. But Fridays match might be one of the biggest underdog stories ever, with UEFAs newest and smallest member trying to avoid humiliation against the team that won the World Cup just four months ago.They are 10 worlds apart from us, Gibraltar captain and customs officer Roy Chipolina said. But its something Ill be able to tell my grandchildren.Germany embarrassed World Cup host Brazil, full of some of the top players in the world, with a 7-1 victory in the World Cup semifinals. And the Germans say they wont take it easy on Gibraltar in Nuremberg, wanting to stay on track to qualify for the European championship. Goal differential can sometimes come in to play as a tiebreaker, so even if the outcome is decided, the wave of German attacks on goal will continue.It is important to concentrate on the game against Gibraltar, said Germany defender Jerome Boateng. We want to make a point but we have respect for every opponent.Chipolina, 31, spends much of his time patrolling the borders of the sunny British outpost at the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea, where hes tasked with stopping drug smugglers. On Friday, hell need to stop Thomas Mueller and Toni Kroos currently ranked as the No. 1 and No. 6 players in the APs Global Football 10.Keeping them to single figures would be great, bar manager Richard Mew said as he poured a pint of beer in the Cannon pub, located just off the main street running through Gibraltar.Gibraltar has three unheralded professionals in its roster of 23 players. Compare that to the world-famous millionaires on the German team.Germany could put their under 15s out and still win, Mew said.Soccer has become huge in Gibraltar ever since its national team was accepted as the 54th and smallest member in Europe following a 16-year fight for recognition. The move had previously been resisted by neighbouring Spain, which disputes the sovereignty of the territory it ceded to Britain in 1713.AAcceptance by UEFA meant that the territory — only about twice the size of Central Park in New York with a population of less than 30,000 — was thrown in with the big boys of European soccer.ddddddddddddPlayers picked for the national team are drawn from amateur clubs that play in the Gibraltar Premier League. When they cant get access to the one and only full-sized soccer field on the territory for training sessions, they have to improvise.We just go running around the streets, midfielder Jeremy Lopez said. We go to a car park and do some sprints, fitness. Its ridiculous, old school.Old men walking their dogs sometimes stop and watch.Like Chipolina, Lopez combines playing the sport he loves with a full-time job, as a researcher for the Ministry of Sports in Gibraltar. He works 9-5 and goes training with his local team three of four times a week. Then there are games on weekends and Lopez also finds time to hit the gym.He is supposed to be getting married soon but some weeks, his fiancee barely sees him.I have three different lives, Lopez said. Family, football and work.Representing Gibraltar involves taking a week off work and is especially tough for those in the private sector. Playing in 10 European qualifiers a year requires 50 days off work and most Gibraltar players have 25 days of annual vacation. They must rely on the goodwill of their employers to accept a request from the Gibraltar Football Association to take leave — usually unpaid.Its hard enough balancing football, work and family, Chipolina said. Then youve got to use your annual leave for football, so you have to tell your wife we arent going on holiday this year.Chipolina has gone from playing in front of 10 spectators a few years ago to playing in front of crowds of 35,000 in European Championship qualifiers.You find yourself switching off in games because you are just not used to it, said striker Kyle Casciaro, an operations manager for a shipping firm. Ireland scored seven goals in the first 63 minutes against us. I looked around and people were chanting, We want 10, we want 10.So far in qualifying, Gibraltar has lost 7-0 to Ireland and Poland, and 3-0 to Georgia.Oh, for a similar score against Germany.Everyones been telling us, If they dont score more than seven, we are better than Brazil, Gibraltar defender Jack Sargent said. Thats our target. ' ' '