Aktuelle News! » ining accident in 2012, headlined the 2014 clas

WASHINGTON -- The Charlotte Bobcats have leapfrogged another team, increasing the odds that their return to the playoffs wont be a token appearance. The Washington Wizards have dropped a spot and are having issues. Or, as centre Marcin Gortat put it: "The way we play right now, we aint going to beat anybody, including Milwaukee." The Bobcats blew a 20-point, first-half lead to the Wizards on Wednesday night before winning 94-88 in overtime, moving Charlotte into position for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. "To go from basically the worst team going to the six seed, I mean, it shows a lot," said guard Kemba Walker, who scored the only field goal in overtime for either team. The win left both teams at 40-38 with four games remaining, but Charlotte won the season series 3-1 and therefore holds the tiebreaker. Both teams want to stay out of seventh or eighth to avoid a first-round series against the two conference powerhouses, the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. The Bobcats have been in the playoffs only once before, when they were swept in the first round in 2010. "We getting better as a team, we two games above .500," said Al Jefferson, who had 20 points and 18 rebounds. "But does it really matter where were at for seeding-wise? No, we just happy to be in the mix." Walker made a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws in the extra session, and Jefferson added two free throws to account for all of the Bobcats scoring. Charlotte went 1 for 7 from the field in overtime, while Washington was 0 for 8 and got its only point from a free throw by John Wall with 34 seconds remaining. Walker finished with 17 points and 12 assists for the Bobcats, who have their longest winning streak since March 2010. "Hes got courage," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. "He wants the ball late and hes not afraid to take the big shot." Wall had a candidate for most underwhelming triple-double of the season -- 14 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists -- and Gortat finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds for the Wizards, who were nearly run out of their own building in the first half for the second straight game and are limping toward the finish line of their first playoff season since 2008. Among Washington coach Randy Wittmans reviews: "To have no more energy or drive or enthusiasm than we showed in that first half, its disappointing. ... I was just not expecting to come out and go through the motions. ... When you dont put effort in, youre not going to have (a) good showing." Added veteran Gortat: "I guess were immature and just not experienced enough and I guess everything starts in the practice. The first few minutes were walking and just fooling around and this is how you start a game." Such comments put the focus on young All-Star Wall, who went 6 for 18 from the field and committed five turnovers. Wall disagreed with his coachs "go through the motions" assessment. "I dont feel that way," Wall said. "I feel like we competed. ... The last couple of games we havent been able to knock down shots." Wall had called this game the most important of the year, but he also made a whirlwind overnight trip to Texas on Monday to watch Kentucky lose the NCAA championship game. He said that had "nothing to do" with his performance. "I practiced yesterday and had a good day," Wall said. "Came here and had a game today. Its not like I went the night before." Trevor Ariza, who has been battling the flu, went 0 for 6 from the field for the Wizards. Washington was 1 for 15 from 3-point range. The Wizards again made defence optional in the early going, echoing their beatdown by the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. But Washington hit its stride in the third quarter and took its first lead of the game on Bradley Beals 15-foot jumper with 5:28 to play. Jefferson forced overtime with a layup that tied the game with 3.2 seconds remaining. Wall didnt get a shot off as time expired in regulation. Notes: Wizards F Nene, back after missing six-plus weeks with a sprained left knee, was understandably rusty. He missed all four of his free throws and finished with 10 points in 17 minutes. ... It was Walls third career triple-double and second this season. ... Bobcats F Josh McRoberts returned after missing three games with a sprained left ankle. Marqise Lee Jaguars Jersey . It looked like being another miserable day for Moyes when Ashley Westwood put Villa in front from a 13th-minute free kick. But Rooney headed United level seven minutes later, and the striker netted his 16th of the season for the struggling champions from the penalty spot before halftime. Leonard Fournette Womens Jersey . Now, Sarah Burkes legacy will live on in Canadas Sports Hall of Fame. Burke, who tragically died at age 29 from a training accident in 2012, headlined the 2014 class named for induction Wednesday. http://www.officialjacksonvillejaguarspr...jaguars-jersey/. Nowitzki scored 28 points, Harris had a season-high 14 for the second straight game and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Detroit Pistons 116-106 Sunday night. Jacksonville Jaguars Jerseys . -- Peyton Manning is the only player in this Super Bowl who has won the big game. Jalen Ramsey Jersey . Heck, we might just miss the BCS. Maybe? It sort of worked out this season. Top-ranked Florida State (13-0) was the only team to get through the regular season unbeaten, and the Seminoles did it in dominating fashion.Echoes of replacement refs.One item in the labour agreement the NFL struck with its game officials in 2012 after the lockout called for all-star crews working the post-season.The NFL Referees Association insisted on it. The league was so eager to get the regulars back on the field after the replacement officials debacle that it agreed.After the uproar surrounding one specific non-call in the Detroit-Dallas wild-card game Sunday — and other calls made or ignored over the weekend — lots of people are wondering why the NFL gave in.Generally, before 2004 the highest-rated full crews worked playoff games and the Super Bowl. That changed to a hybrid system in 04 that allowed for eliminating lower-rated officials on some crews from working the post-season.Moving to the current all-star approach allows for officials rated highest at each position by supervisors to get the premium assignments. But it also can rob the crews working the critical January and February games of the cohesion developed through a full preseason and regular season.Regardless, until the CBA with the officials union runs out after next years post-season, the all-star format is in effect.So how are these officials evaluated?—Officiating supervisors rate performances of on-field referees, umpires, linesmen and judges every week on every play. All of the supervisors are former on-field officials.The crewmembers get to see those weekly reports.—Officials get an accuracy percentage on their calls for the entire season, which takes into account the calls made and missed, and calls that should have been made, says Dean Blandino, director of NFL officiating.—Then the officials are grouped into three tiers based on that accuracy percentage of their calls. Those in Tier 1 are eligible for playoff assignments, including the Super Bowl and the conference championships.ddddddddddddhose in Tier 2 will fill in the blanks and handle some of the other playoff games.If an official is in Tier 3, he gets no post-season assignments and could be up for employment review, Blandino says.Seniority is not taken into account.—Once placed in a tier, the officials are divided up based on other criteria. That includes decisiveness, clarity of explanations, control of the game, physical fitness, and several other categories.The officials who rate best overall are chosen to work the post-season.—No crew will work more than two games. The Super Bowl crew will handle one of this weekends games, meaning that Pete Morellis group that worked the Lions-Cowboys contest will not do the big game.For the Super Bowl crew, we want them to work one game, and the divisional round is best, Blandino says. Its not that long a break after the season or before the Super Bowl. It fits right in the middle.Often, several of the officiating crew members will have worked a game or more during the regular season, perhaps even much of the schedule. For Lions-Cowboys, Blandino says four of the officials had been at the same regular-season game, but none had worked with Morelli in 2014.As for which particular games the crews get in the first two rounds of the playoffs, Blandino says the NFL will look at the matchups and the two teams and tendencies, and then look at the officials and if they fit for certain matchups.Could the assignment system be changed once the CBA with the officials union concludes?Its definitely something to look at after the 2015 season, Blandino says, but at this point there is no strong opinion one way or the other.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '