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WASHINGTON -- If the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards meet in the first round of the playoffs, the Bulls will have a nice little blueprint to follow. The Bulls dominated from the get-go Saturday night and never trailed in a 96-78 win over the Wizards, avenging two losses from earlier in the season and providing perhaps a psychological edge if these teams are cranking up for a seven-game series in a couple of weeks. "It was definitely a statement game," Washington forward Drew Gooden said. "We were going in the mindset of this being a statement game, getting a possible matchup in the first round, and they took it the same way. They wanted to make a statement early." And they certainly did, holding the Wizards to 16 points in the first quarter and 10 in the second while building a lead that grew as large as 28 points. At one point, Washington was 0 for 7 from the 3-point line and 0 for 3 from the free throw line for the game, as well as 2 for 13 from the field in the second period. "They were taking shots they didnt want to take," Bulls forward Taj Gibson said. D.J. Augustin found plenty that he liked, as long as he was behind the arc. He led Chicago with 25 points, making 6 of 11 3-pointers but only 2 of 8 2-pointers. Joakim Noah had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Carlos Boozer added 16 points for the Bulls, who have won five straight and are tied with the Toronto Raptors for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Augustin has averaged 19.8 points during the winning streak. Unlike the Wizards, who freely talked about a rematch in the playoffs, the Bulls didnt want to think that far ahead. "We lost to these guys at home. We lost to them here. It was just getting this win tonight," Augustin said. "Were not looking forward to the playoffs just yet, but we wanted to come out tonight and do it for ourselves." John Wall scored 20 points, and Marcin Gortat had 19 for the Wizards, who sit in sixth place in the East. If they hold that spot, they would face the third-seeded team. Several Washington players cited fatigue as an issue on the back end of a back-to-back, but coach Randy Wittman noted that Chicago played Friday night as well. It also didnt help that Trevor Ariza played through an illness and went 1 for 9 from the field. Wittman, however, said his team wasnt ready for the Bulls intensity and aggression. "You fight aggression with aggression," Wittman said. "And it was only a one-way fight tonight." One likely difference if the teams do meet again: Wizards forward Nene, out with a sprained left knee, is expected back for the playoffs. He played in the two early wins over the Bulls. "Nene gives us another facilitator," Wittman said. "And against a team like this you need another one. Nene was another guy that kind of can play like Noah does, up at the top with the ball in his hands. Thats not an excuse why we lost. Id love to have him back, though." The Wizards made a run in the third quarter, scoring more points (35) in the period than they had in the entire first half (26). Walls 30-foot bounce pass to Trevor Booker on a fast break led to a dunk that pulled Washington within 11 and brought the crowd to its feet. But Noah took over and quickly squashed the rally. His three-point play started a 12-0 run early in the fourth quarter that put the game away. "We wanted to throw the first punch tonight, and I think we did a good job with that," Noah said. "In the beginning of the game, we were the more aggressive team. Usually, the most aggressive team wins." Notes: Noah was naturally less than thrilled that his college, Florida, lost its game in the Final Four. He opened his postgame remarks by saying: "No questions about the Gators, sensitive issue." ... The Wizards finished 3 for 16 from 3-point range. ... As the team with the NBAs only Polish player (Gortat), the Wizards celebrated Polish Heritage Night. Polands ambassador to the U.S. made a presentation to Gortat before tipoff. ... The Wizards recalled G Glen Rice from Iowa of the D-League. Terry Porter Jersey . According to a report from the Hamilton Spectator, Infrastructure Ontario has informed the City of Hamilton and the Tiger-Cats the stadium may not be ready by the June 30 deadline. Kent Bazemore Blazers Jersey . With the results, North America claimed 2.5 of the three available points, opening up a 17.5-12.5 lead in the overall standings. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the Continental Cup. https://www.blazerslockerroom.com/Jaylen-Hoard-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Andrew Luck couldnt believe his ears. Colts fans couldnt believe the scoreboard, and the Kansas City Chiefs couldnt believe their incredibly bad luck. Zach Collins Jersey .The South African had three birdies on the front nine and another four after the turn at Leopard Creek Country Club to move to 16-under 128 overall.Grace, who won all four of his European Tour titles in 2012, dropped his only shot of the competition on the par-3 fifth. Bill Walton Blazers Jersey .What they got was a bevy of players chipping in to pick up the slack.Josh Smith scored 18 points and James Harden added 17 as the Rockets used a balanced scoring effort to outlast the Mavericks for a 99-94 victory.Manu Ginobili walked off the court in June an NBA champion. The toll that pursuit took on his 37-year-old body is now preventing him from the only team he loves more than the San Antonio Spurs. Ginobili will not play for Argentina at the FIBA World Cup because of a stress fracture in his right leg that has bothered the Spurs guard since the playoffs. The Argentine Basketball Federation announced the decision on Thursday, prompting Ginobili to post a tweet in Spanish saying he was "so sorry" that he couldnt compete with his beloved national team. The World Cup will be played starting Aug. 30 in Spain, and Ginobilis loss is a big blow for Argentinas chances. Ginobili played through the injury while helping the Spurs beat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. He has long relished international competition, but the San Antonio Express-News first reported earlier this week that the Spurs requested Ginobili not play in Spain because of the lingering issue. The Spurs have good reason to be concerned. In 2008, Ginobili injured his ankle in the playoffs and then played for Arrgentina in the Olympics.dddddddddddd. In Beijing, Ginobili did further damage to the ankle that ultimately required surgery and contributed to an injury plagued 2008-09 NBA season. Ginobili missed the playoffs that season and the Spurs were defeated in the first round by Dallas. Ginobili also had a subpar season in 2012-13 after playing all summer long for Argentina in the London Olympics. He had some vintage moments in the finals against the Heat in June, including a dunk over Heat star Chris Bosh in the first half of Game 5 that sent the home crowd into a frenzy and the Spurs rolling toward their fifth championship. But he was playing through pain, and the injury did not heal enough for Ginobili to be able to compete in Spain. Skipping the World Cup will help Ginobili recover and be ready for next season with the Spurs, but it has to be a tough pill swallow for the proud veteran. Ginobili has played internationally for Argentina since 1998, including the nations thrilling victory over the Americans en route to winning the gold medal in the 2004 Olympics. ' ' '