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on the 15-day disabled list in order to open a roster spot for Overbay.

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WASHINGTON -- No, confetti didnt fall from the rafters, and theres no parade scheduled for Pennsylvania Avenue. Larry Ogunjobi Womens Jersey . But John Wall pumped his right arm and smiled broadly as he dribbled out the clock, and the first word out of Bradley Beals mouth when he addressed the crowd said it all: "Finally." The Washington Wizards celebrated what they hope is the end of mediocrity Monday night, moving above .500 for the first time in more than four years with a 100-90 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. "Its only one game over, but, yeah, its a big relief," said Wall, who has endured more than his share of Wizards frustration since his selection as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft. "But the main thing is weve got bigger goals to try to keep winning games and try to keep getting better and try not to go back down -- so we wont have to have this talk again." Wall scored 22 points, and Trevor Ariza added 20 and had another solid defensive game for the Wizards, who hadnt had a winning record since beating the New Jersey Nets to improve to 2-1 on Halloween in 2009. Washington committed six turnovers while forcing 16 from Portland, and Wall and Co. didnt look back after Kevin Seraphin led a 12-0 run that put the Wizards up by 17 early in the fourth quarter. "Its great to finally get this team over the hump," Beal said. No one on the current Wizards roster was on the team when it was last above .500. They had lost this season at 0-0, 9-9, 14-14, 19-19, 20-20, 21-21 and 22-22, and the hurdle became such a bugaboo that players starting declaring the subject taboo when reporters asked about it. Coach Randy Wittman at one point cautioned against thoughts that "all of a sudden fairy dust is going to fall on us if we get over .500." Sticking with that theme, Wittman wasnt about to consider having slightly more "Ws" than "Ls" as much of an accomplishment. "It aint out of the way. How many more games have we got to play?" Wittman said. "You act like that was the last daggum game. ... If were going to learn to be a good basketball team, we have to do this every night, no matter who youre playing." The Wizards are 120-236 since that Oct. 31 victory 51 months ago, a .336 winning percentage better than only Minnesota and Sacramento over that span. The streak of futility fell just a few days shy of spanning an entire Winter Olympiad. "Its great that were 24-23 now, but I dont want them to focus on a number," Wittman said. "I want them to focus on the act of why youre 24-23. Thats where you keep it going. I want this team to get on a run. They havent ever been on a run." Another way to put the quest to move above mediocrity in perspective: The Trail Blazers would have to lose their next 20 in a row just to fall back to .500. But the Wizards have now topped two of the Wests top teams in back-to-back games, having taken care of Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. Washingtons first playoff berth since 2008 is well within reach, especially in the watered-down East. The Trail Blazers arrived averaging a league-best 108.3 points and shot 61 per cent in the first half, but Portland was 6 for 17 from the field with seven turnovers in the decisive third quarter as Washingtons defence again held its own against a more celebrated lineup. Seraphin went 7 for 10 from the field and scored a season-high 19 points, making his mark by scoring the last four points of the third quarter and the first four points of the fourth. He followed a turnaround hook shot with a jumper to put the Wizards ahead 86-69. The Trail Blazers cut the deficit to six on a layup by LaMarcus Aldridge with 1:12 remaining, but Nene answered with a jumper to give the Wizards a 98-90 lead. Damian Lillard scored 25 points, and Aldridge had 20 to lead the Trail Blazers, who have lost four straight road games. They could care less about Washingtons over-.500 benchmark, but they know one thing for certain: The Wizards are a better team these days. "Give Washington credit," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. "They are playing well, theyve beaten some good teams, and they are playing with a lot of confidence." Notes: G Garrett Temple committed three of Washingtons six turnovers. ... Wizards F Trevor Booker missed the game due to personal reasons. Howard Wilson Youth Jersey . He was signed to help with depth to the receiving corps because of the loss of Shamawd Chambers to the 6-game injured list. Howard Wilson Womens Jersey . - Jason Day and Cameron Tringale shot an 8-under 64 on Friday in modified alternate-shot play to increase their lead to three strokes in the Franklin Templeton Shootout. PITTSBURGH -- Ryan Braun already was being booed loudly and that was before he hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning. Braun hit two homers, including a two-run shot with two outs in the ninth inning that sent the Milwaukee Brewers over the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-7 Saturday night. Braun has five home runs this season after being suspended for the last 65 games of 2013 following Major League Baseballs investigation into the Biogenesis drug scandal. The other three homers came in one game on April 8 at Philadelphia as did seven of his 13 RBIs. Because he has been so prominently associated with performance-enhancing drugs, Braun is jeered wherever. That was the case when he stepped to the plate in the ninth inning and hit the go-ahead drive to centre field off Pirates closer Jason Grilli (0-1), his second blown save in six opportunities. Jean Seguras two-out single kept the inning going for Braun, who had three hits and three RBIs. "The booing is just part of the territory and I take it as a challenge instead of personally," Braun said. "If I make an out, its going to make them (cheer) but if I get a hit then its going to give me a good feeling. Id rather feel good." Braun and the Brewers were feeling good after raising their record to a league-best 13-5, including 5-1 against the Pirates. "Grillis a tough matchup for anybody and Braunie just crushed that ball," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "That was impressive." Grilli wasnt very impressed by himself for giving up Seguras hit on an 0-2 count. "You cant give up a hit in that situation. You either put him away or waste a pitch," Grilli said. "That bothers me more than the home run." Jonathan Lucroy hit three doubles and drove in two runs for the Brewers. Mark Reynolds hit his fourth homer. Ike Davis doubled, singled and walked in his first game for the Pirates. The first baseman was acquired from the New York Mets iin a trade Friday night. Larry Ogunjobi Jersey. Jim Henderson (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win and Francisco Rodriguez finished for his sixth save in as many opportunities. Braun got the Brewers within a run at 7-6 when he hit a solo homer in the seventh off Tony Watson. Neither starter pitched well. Milwaukees Matt Garza allowed five earned runs in five innings, Wandy Rodriguez gave up four runs in four innings. Clint Barmes and pinch hitter Travis Snider hit consecutive two-run singles to cap a five-run fourth inning that put the Pirates ahead 6-4. Lucroy had an RBI grounder in the fifth to make it a one-run game. Andrew McCutchen made it 7-5 with an RBI double in the Pirates sixth but Braun rallied the Brewers to victory. "Its a game we probably shouldnt have won but good teams find a way to win a game like this and I think were proving to everyone that weve got a pretty good team," Braun said. NOTES: The Pirates designated 1B Travis Ishikawa for assignment to clear a roster spot for the addition of Davis, activated C Chris Stewart from the disabled list and optioned C Tony Sanchez to Triple-A Indianapolis. . Pittsburgh SS Jordy Mercer did not play because of a sore left ankle. He was injured Friday night when Milwaukee C Martin Maldonado slid into him at second base while trying to break up a double play. INF Clint Barmes started in Mercers place. . Brewers 1B Lyle Overbays three-day paternity leave ends Sunday and he will return to the team for the finale of the four-game series. Milwaukee is likely to place OF Logan Schafer, who has a strained right hamstring, on the 15-day disabled list in order to open a roster spot for Overbay. . Brewers RHP Marco Estrada (1-1, 3.06) will face Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole (2-1, 4.74) on Sunday. Estrada is 5-0 in his career against the Pirates with a 2.06 ERA in 11 games, including eight starts.724-312-9796 Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '