Neues » Its the essence of play

INDIANAPOLIS -- Washington keeps finding ways to break through old, stubborn barriers. Even in the unlikeliest place of all -- Indiana. Bradley Beal scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, Trevor Ariza added 22 and the Wizards held off the Pacers with a stout defence over the final 7 1/2 minutes Monday night to get a 102-96 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. It was Washingtons first second-round win in 32 years. "We know its a tough building to play in. We havent won here in a while," Ariza said after the Wizards snapped a 12-game losing streak in Indy. "Why wouldnt this be the best time to come here and get a win -- in the playoffs?" The Wizards know there is a lot more work to do in this best-of-seven series. Game 2 is Wednesday in Indianapolis. So far, though, things have gone well for the upstart Wizards. After clinching their first playoff berth since 2008, the Wizards have advanced to the second round for the first time since 2005, won at Indiana for the first time since April 18, 2007, and have their first second-round win since April 28, 1982. Washington has opened these playoffs with four straight road wins and put the pressure right back on the top seed in the Eastern Conference. It doesnt get better than that for a young team that beat Chicago 4-1 in the opening round. "The way I think about it, Im 20 years old, Im playing in the playoffs, something Ive always dreamed of. Why not embrace it?" Beal said. "Why not accept the challenge and have fun with it? Thats all Im doing -- having fun." For the Pacers, it was another kick in the pants. After salvaging their season with two straight wins to beat Atlanta in seven games, Indiana lost Game 1 for the second straight series and for many of the same reasons. They were outrebounded 53-36 and were outscored 19-5 on second-chance points. They got beat outside as Washington made a franchise playoff-record 10 3-pointers with Ariza going 6 of 6. They got no points and no rebounds from 7-foot-2 centre Roy Hibbert, who has looked nothing like the All-Star he was during the first half of the season. And when they were desperately trying to rally in the fourth quarter, Indiana went 7 minutes without a basket. Things got so frustrating that even the emotional Lance Stephenson lost his cool and snapped at coach Frank Vogel when he was yanked with 1 minute to play in the third quarter. Vogel said he took Stephenson out because he didnt want him playing 48 minutes. Stephenson said he was mostly mad at himself. "I waited too late," Stephenson said. "Third quarter was too late to turn (it) up. I mean we need to come out first quarter and turn (it) up and get everybody going so the second half we could already have that pace." Paul George and George Hill scored 18 points each to lead the Pacers, though half of Hills points came on three 3s in the final minute when it was too late to come back. David West added 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Wizards trailed once all game, 31-30, and retook the lead on the ensuing possession. But Washington won this one in large part because it beat Indiana at its own game. Marcin Gortat had 15 rebounds, six on the offensive end where Washington held a 17-6 advantage. The defence limited Indiana to 40.7 per cent shooting and never allowed them to get closer than six points until the final minute of the game. By then it was too late. Washington jumped to an 8-0 lead and led 28-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. After the Pacers charged back to take the lead, the Wizards closed the half with a decisive 17-6 run to make it 56-43. Washington took its biggest lead of the game, 68-52, midway through the third quarter with the Pacers in full catch-up mode. Indiana got within six late in the third, within seven early in the fourth and within five when Hill hit a 3 with 23.6 seconds to go. That was as close the Pacers got. "We won one game here in Indiana, but we still have to get three more," Beal said. "We have to be more desperate each and every game." NOTES: Washington has won seven straight on the road and nine of its last 10 including the regular season. ... Indiana held Washington to 66 points on Jan. 10, the lowest single-game point total in the NBA this season. It took the Wizards only 26:02 to top that mark Monday. ... Washington shot 62.5 per cent from 3-point range (10 of 16), the best against Indiana this season. ... Robert Mathis and Reggie Wayne of the Colts attended the game. Custom Cleveland Browns Jerseys . Kyle Shanahan was hired as offensive co-ordinator Monday after spending the previous four years in the same role with the Washington Redskins. Tyrod Taylor Jersey .I shared with him how much I appreciated all he had done for us, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said of that Thursday night farewell. http://www.officialclevelandbrownsfootball.com/authentic-genard-avery-jersey-womens . Wiggins, who had been seen as a contender for a podium finish in Paris, was one of about 20 riders caught near the back of the peloton with 38 kilometres to go in the 218-km flat stage from Le Mans to Chateauroux. Kevin Zeitler Jersey . With timely hitting and good pitching, the Marlins are one win away from sweeping the slumping Houston Astros. Cleveland Browns Jerseys . Two weeks after suffering a concussion, Foles will start in place of Michael Vick, who is out for the second time this season with a hamstring injury.(SportsNetwork.com) - You cant spell compete without Pete. Pete Carroll has a competitive edge, one that many wondered would translate successfully to the NFL from the college ranks. When Carroll, who failed in previous NFL coaching attempts, couldnt pass up another opportunity to lay a cohesive foundation at the professional level, the Seattle Seahawks didnt know what to expect from this rah-rah coach. The enthusiastic and energetic Carroll never passes up a challenge and is at the doorstep of winning back-to-back Super Bowls. Its a rare feat to reach the Super Bowl in consecutive years, let alone once, and Carroll has achieved that distinction. How does Carroll do it? How can he make millionaires play together as one and buy into his philosophy? Carroll is known for his laid-back persona and allowing his players to be themselves. But what is it that makes Carrolls players trust in the plan? That question was answered after a 24-20 loss at Kansas City on Nov. 16 left the Seahawks with doubts on defending their title. A defensive breakdown in the fourth quarter dropped the Seahawks to 6-4 on the season and something had to be done, or said. Carroll did both. He rounded up the team leaders for a private discussion, and what followed has Seattle in the biggest game. There were 12 players in that meeting and Carroll wanted them to express his message to the rest of the team. I told them I will do our best to keep us on topic, but you guys are going to have to embed the thoughts that are going to give us a chance to adjust at this point and they did a remarkable job, Carroll said. Theres no doubt that our team has changed and weve grown. Seattle never lost after the jaw session, winning eight games in a row, and recaptured what it understood earlier. Sometimes people go off track and need a little guidance or reassurance to believe again. Carroll said the team lost contact with how important it is to sacrifice for each other and how crucial it is to support the players on the team. Its the essence of playing with the team. That its not about you, its about the people around you and you give yourself to them, Carroll continued. Thats really what has taken place. Wide receiver Doug Baldwin said the meeting made a huge impact and thought it was crucial for the development of the team to be reminded of what led them to victory the year before. It was very important for us to get things off our chest. Guys in that room ... we clash at times, but I think being able to get everything off the table, it brought us closer, Baldwin explained. Being able to spread that out throughout the team it brought the whole team closer. Carroll was faced with a difficult decision involving wide receiver Percy Harvin. Apparently Harvin wasnt dedicated to Carrolls team-first ideology and was introduced to the exit door. The Seahawks never missed a beat when Harviin was ditched and are in their current state because they believed in Carrolls system.dddddddddddd As it turned out, we just thought it was better for our team to move on where we had come from in a sense. We went back to more of the format that had gotten us here and it just seemed like the right idea and the right thought. It was a very difficult choice, Carroll said of cutting ties with Harvin. Carroll has a melting pot of players he must keep tempered, including running back Marshawn Lynch and his obligatory antics and cornerback Richard Sherman with his confidence and no fear of tongue usage. Its a chess match for Carroll and right now hes the king. The Seahawks are trying to become kings of the NFL in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the New England Patriots accomplished the rare feat in 2003-04. Carroll, of course, coached the Patriots from 1997-1999 (27-21) and was replaced by Bill Belichick, whose been under heavy scrutiny over the last few weeks regarding air pressure in footballs. The Seahawks should be happy, and maybe even relieved, all the attention has been on Deflategate leading up to Super Bowl XLIX. Seattle is still going about its business as usual. Carroll was asked if he plans on changing any aspect of the Super Bowl week routine from last season. No. Really, we have our way that we do things and for us, its the discipline of staying the same is what the challenge is ... its to not change, Carroll said. What weve done in the past in leading up to this game has gotten us here, so were not going to adjust now. Who could blame him, right? The Seahawks have sustained tremendous success the past two seasons, and with so much parity in the NFL, its amazing. Having arguably the best defense, a quarterback who stares adversity in the eye and a coach who doesnt need a choke chain for his players helps. Carroll can deliver a tremendous jab to the New England organization for giving up on him with a win Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona. Who wouldnt want to stick it to a former boss (or even a current one)? They say the best revenge is good health and happiness. So far Carroll has both. He also has a locker room full of men who will put their heart, mind and body at risk for the betterment of the team. Thats what gauges sustained success. Murmurs of the Seahawks becoming a dynasty will come to a roar if they can send the Patriots to a third consecutive loss in Super Bowl appearances. New England has already established itself as a dynamic organization and Seattle wants to be the next model teams emulate. The personnel is in place, so the next task is to go out and win. Its a tremendous accomplishment for the club to be able to get a chance to go back to the Super Bowl, Carroll said. Its extraordinarily fun for us and I hope for everybody else, too. Were going to do everything we can to go get it done. 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