Releases » beat that. In his 45 starts over four seasons he has four

WASHINGTON -- An already rough-and-tumble playoff series between the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls now has a full-blown fracas, an ejection and a Game 4 suspension for Nene. What everyone will be watching when these clubs meet Sunday, with Washington leading the Eastern Conference series 2-1, is just how physical the play will get -- and whether things will escalate again. "Weve had scuffles all three games, basically. Youve got to make sure we dont lose our composure, where we get thrown out of the game like that. It doesnt matter who it is, we cant afford that," Washington coach Randy Wittman said after the Wizards loss Friday night. "So weve just got to do a better job. Hey, its very emotional. Emotional game, tough game." Nene was tossed with about 8 1/2 minutes left in the fourth quarter after wrapping both hands around the back of Jimmy Butlers head and neck as they stood so close their foreheads touched. Rod Thorn, the NBAs president of basketball operations, announced Saturday that Nene had been suspended one game without pay for head-butting and grabbing Butler "around the neck with both hands and attempting to throw him down." Butler made two key 3-pointers from there, helping the fourth-seeded Bulls win 100-97. "When you play physical ... things get hot," Nene said with a smile and a shrug Friday. During Washingtons victory at Chicago in Game 2, some lesser contretemps led to a total of four players getting called for technical fouls: Washingtons Bradley Beal and Trevor Ariza, and Chicagos Kirk Hinrich and Joakim Noah. So neither club seemed all that surprised at the rising temperature in Game 3. "Hes a guy, just like each one of us, hes a guy with a big ego," Wizards centre Marcin Gortat said about Nene. "Theres nobody in this locker room whos going to be pushed around like that. And thats just how he reacted. Does he deserve two technical fouls? I dont know. But at the end of the day, he got kicked out and we had to play without him." Added Beal: "It gets to the point where you just get pushed to the limit way too much, and I think Nene got pushed to the limit. Do we agree with what he did? Not necessarily, but he did it and we cant take it back." Noah, who has spent plenty of time jostling with Nene in the low block, called the ejection a "turning point" of Fridays game. Indeed, not only did Nene average a team-high 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in Washingtons wins in Games 1 and 2, but the teams entire approach changes when the 6-foot-11 Brazilian is on the floor. He provides big-body defence and soft-hands passing. He can score and rebound. Hes so influential that John Wall, Washingtons All-Star point guard, has called him the "X-factor." During the regular season, Washington won two of three games from Chicago, but lost at home 96-78 on April 5 without an injured Nene. The Wizards scored 26 points in the first half. As for what Game 4 would mean without Nene, Noah said Saturday before the official announcement, "Im not sure. I dont think it changes our mindset, though. Its a crucial game for us. All three games really came down to the end. Attention to detail is huge. The game in these situations is so mental. For us, its just about staying focused on the things that we can control." Asked whether he thought Nenes actions warranted a suspension, Noah said, "As a player, those arent things I can control. The only thing I can control right now is eating lunch and ice baths and sleeping and shooting free throws and things like that." All three games so far have been won by the visiting team, a pattern the Bulls would love to see continue Sunday, of course. "I cant tell you why thats happened," Wizards forward Trevor Ariza said. While Washingtons offence is particularly dependent on young guards Wall and Beal, the Bulls found some new sources of much-needed offence in Game 3: Mike Dunleavy scored 35 points, one shy of his NBA high, and Butler finished with 15, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 24 seconds to go. Wittman will want to come up with a way to change that Sunday, of course. What is not likely to change is the testy nature of this matchup. "It gets chippy," Bulls forward Taj Gibson said. "But youve got to be smart. Its playoff basketball. You can get ejected; you can get suspended. Youve got to keep your hands to yourself." Matt Dumba Wild Jersey . Hes recovered from a scary injury and cleared to play. Mingo, who was hospitalized with a bruised lung he sustained in an Aug. Greg Pateryn Wild Jersey . The 49ers announced the deal Thursday. San Francisco selected Kilgore in the fifth round of the 2011 draft out of Appalachian State. He has played in 33 regular-season games, plus all six playoff games the last two seasons. http://www.authenticwildpro.com/Jt-brown-wild-jersey/ .The league also seems to have a fairly active Twitter account www.twitter.com/bikinihockey that features the description “We provide a positive alternative to the hockey community and a venue for adult female hockey athletes to continue in their sport. Marcus Foligno Wild Jersey . The teams were scoreless for most of the first two periods before Canada scored three times in a span of less than four minutes. Sarah Potomak opened the scoring on the power play. Matt Dumba Jersey . -- Orleans Darkwa ran in from 1 yard with 1:45 left, and the Miami Dolphins rallied from two scores down in the final minutes to beat the Dallas Cowboys 25-20 on Saturday night.WINNIPEG -- With injuries already becoming an issue for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, coach Mike OShea had his players doing a little yoga Wednesday to stretch their muscles at the end of practice. "It does concern me because Im responsible for player safety too," he said. "Its a response to what I noticed. There werent enough guys stretching after practice. If theyre not taking it upon themselves to do the right thing then Im going to coach them to do the right thing." Cory Watson just returned to the field this week after a hamstring injury he suffered on opening day of training camp this season. "Its football," said the teams top Canadian receiver. "Injuries are going to happen in any sport so youve got to be prepared for those things and be patient and hopefully things work out." OShea had nothing but praise for the way Watson plays football but says he may at some point discuss what he does in the off-season and other things that might help with injuries. "I cant tell you what he did all off-season and what he does (for conditioning) during the season i just know one thing. He plays football the way it should be played and with that there are ramifications." The coach got linebacker Ian Wild to lead the stretch since he does the same thing anyway every day after practice, but OShea says there is only so much players can do in the off-season. "Its virtually impossible to be in game shape come training camp," he said. "The only way to get in game shape is to play those games." He says the intense physical contact cant bbe simulated during the off-season.dddddddddddd Many might argue it wouldnt be a great idea even if it could, since thats where injuries happen. Watson, 30, a native of Dollard des Ormeaux, Que, has missed a lot of games in his four previous seasons with the Bombers yet shines as their best Canadian receiver when hes on the field. He appeared in just 11 games in 2013 but still caught 36 passes for 516 yards and ranked third on the teams receivers list. His best year was his second with the team. In 2011 he caught 69 passes for 793 yards and he says he thinks he can beat that. In his 45 starts over four seasons he has four times exceeded the 100-yard mark. "I think I can do better than what I did in my second year," he suggests. "This year I have a role that demands a lot so I have to make sure Im in there, thats the most important thing. I have to make those plays happen." Watson is also a force on special teams and says thats a role he loves as well. He hasnt had much time to work out with the teams four quarterbacks so far but says he has studied lots of film and will be able to get his timing down. "The most important thing for me right now is trying to get my conditioning in," he said as the Bombers prepare to open the regular season at home June 26 when they host he Toronto Argonauts. "Thats the focus right now. Timing is going to come." Defensive back Johnny Sears also returned from the injury list this week. But there were plenty of other players on the sidelines, including promising new Canadian receiver Julian Feoli-Gudino. ' ' '