CHICAGO -- Playoff appearances were rare enough for the Washington Wizards let alone series victories. Never mind all that now. John Wall finished with 24 points, Nene scored 20, and the Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 75-69 on Tuesday night to clinch their first-round series in five games. Bradley Beal scored 17 points, and the fifth-seeded Wizards advanced in the post-season for just the third time since the 1970s. They will meet Indiana or Atlanta in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Hawks lead the series 3-2. Its a huge step for a franchise that hadnt been to the post-season since 2008, but with Wall and Beal leading the way, they won 44 games during the regular season. "It just shows our continued growth," Beal said. "We played great basketball in this series and we can only continue to get better and better." As for the Bulls? "It is real disappointing," Taj Gibson said. "We put so much work into the season, came out of countless holes." The Wizards turned a halftime tie into a nine-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and hung on down the stretch. Chicagos comeback chances took a big hit early in the final quarter when Gibson crumbled to the court clutching his left ankle after he tried to block a layup by Wall with the Wizards up by six points. He had to be helped off the court and did not return. The Bulls got within three points in the closing minutes but couldnt grab rebounds when they needed them, particularly after D.J. Augustin hit two free throws to make it 72-69 with 2:18 left. The Wizards grabbed three offensive rebounds while whittling more than a minute off the clock before Beal threw the ball away with a minute left in the game. Carlos Boozer missed on a drive, but the Bulls couldnt convert after a shot-clock violation by Washington with 22.4 seconds left. Chicagos Jimmy Butler missed on a layup off the inbounds, and the Wizards caught a break after Andre Miller missed two free throws. Nene tracked down the loose ball and Beal hit the first free throw to make it 73-69 with 14.6 seconds left before missing the second. But Nene got another rebound, and that led to two free throws by Wall with 7.8 seconds remaining. Nene was back to wreaking havoc after serving a one-game suspension for grabbing Butlers head, whether he was knocking down jumpers or scoring inside. He hit 10 of 17 shots and grabbed seven rebounds. Wall also had seven boards and hit 9 of 11 free throws. Marcin Gortat grabbed 13 rebounds, and the Wizards did something they have rarely done the past three-and-a-half decades -- they moved on. The playoffs have mostly been one-and-done affairs for them -- with a few exceptions -- since they lost to Seattle in the 1979 Finals. They knocked off New Jersey 2-0 in the first round in 1982 and took out Chicago in six games in 2005. In this series, they showed a resolve and killer instinct that wasnt always there in the regular season. "The main thing is to focus in and know what this team is capable of," Wall said. "I just give a lot of credit to my teammates and the coaching staff and the great game plan and making adjustments and committing ourselves to play on every given night." For the Bulls, a season that unfolded in ways they never envisioned is finally over. They expected to challenge Miami for supremacy in the Eastern Conference with Derrick Rose back after sitting out last season, only to lose their star to another season-ending knee injury. As if that wasnt enough, they traded away one of their top remaining players in Luol Deng yet somehow squeezed out 48 victories. No team in the East won more games after New Years Eve, either, but slow starts and poor shooting plagued them in this series. Butler and Kirk Hinrich scored 16 points each and Gibson had 12 for the Bulls. Joakim Noah, whose left knee has bothering him the past few months, added 18 rebounds and seven assists. Boozer, a candidate to be amnestied, added 10 points and nine rebounds in what might have been his final appearance for Chicago. The Wizards outscored the Bulls 20-11 in the third quarter to turn a 41-41 halftime tie into a 61-52 lead going into the fourth. "I am proud of this team," Noah said. "I am proud of the way we competed all year. We dealt with a lot. Whenever a season is over it is always tough." NOTES: The Wizards outrebounded the Bulls 49-43 overall and 15-8 in the fourth quarter. ... Nene declined comment about his suspension at the Wizards shootaround, saying, "I dont want to talk about that." ... Gibson on his injury: "Real painful. I got to see what they (the medical staff) say tomorrow." Marcos Llorente Real Madrid Jersey .C. -- Eric Staal kept his focus after his apparent breakaway goal was waived off early in the third period. Real Madrid Jerseys . But luckily for the Canadian squad, one goal was all it needed. Winnipegs Sophie Schmidt scored the winner off a Diana Matheson corner kick to seal Canadas third-place spot in the Torneio Internacional de Futebol Feminino in Brazil on Sunday. http://www.realmadridcfstore.com/Women-M...-Madrid-Jersey/. -- Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer, Colby Rasmus drove in two runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Detroit Tigers 9-4 on Saturday. Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid Jersey . The 30-year-old Texas native was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 20th round of the 2001 amateur draft. Duke spent six years in Pittsburgh and also had stints with Arizona, Washington and Cincinnati. Dani Ceballos Real Madrid Jersey . The Raptors had an early deadline Sunday, a dreaded afternoon game, and they left the bulk of their work until the last minute, as theyve done so many times before.JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Creating holes for Fred Taylor and then Maurice Jones-Drew, Greg Jones proved to be one of the best fullbacks in the NFL for a decade.He left an indelible mark on coaches and teammates — as well as opponents.Jones signed a ceremonial, one-day contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday and retired with the team that drafted him in 2004.Ten years have flown by, Jones said. Its been a time of happiness and grief, where Ive gotten knocked on my butt both figuratively and literally.A second-round pick out of Florida State, Jones played in 115 games during his nine years in Jacksonville. He spent the 2013 season with Houston and went to training camp with New Orleans last year before getting cut.Jones finished with 913 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns.He was best known for his tenacious blocking — and toughness.I never saw him lose a fight, former teammate and retired centre Brad Meester said. I remember him getting in several scuffles, even in games, and he always came out on top. I remember a game in Pittsburgh and one of their players literally had him down on the ground.You could see Greg on the ground, guy on top of him, and he would use his sheer strength to lift himself off the ground with a guy on him and fight him off. I have never seen anything like that before. Hes a tough, tough player that never quit, and that is what made him so special.Jones missed the 2006 season with a torn knee ligament. He returned the following year and paved the way for a rushing attack that ranked second in the NFL.dddddddddddd That year, Jones was selected as the first alternate for the Pro Bowl.Its funny because people would talk trash to me when Greg wasnt on the field, Jones-Drew said. They wouldnt say too much when he was out there. It just showed you his presence. People wanted to get him out of his game, but Greg did a great job of dominating people whistle to whistle.He would just move on to the next play. Every once in a while he would get into a scuffle. ... That mindset and that attitude, theres always someone that thinks they are just as tough as you. Greg would go out there and show them.The 33-year-old Jones would like to coach in the league or be involved in the personnel side of things.I love the game of football and I want to be around it, he said. Ive done some networking with teams with the hope of landing something, but its a tough field to get into.Jones plans to continue living in Jacksonville, which drafted him as a running back out of college but moved him to fullback.Selflessness and humility are two character traits that come to mind when I think of G, Taylor said. He could have easily rebelled when the coaches decided to move him to fullback.Theres no real glory in that position, but G swallowed his pride and always gave a hundred per cent effort and attention to detail in the classroom and on the practice field. A huge piece of my success from over a five-year span was due to Greg.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Cheap NFL Black Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Hoodies Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping ' ' '