CHICAGO -- This one looked like it was slipping away from the Washington Wizards. Then, in a flash everything changed. Bradley Beal came on strong late in regulation to finish with 26 points, Nene scored six of his 17 points in overtime and the Wizards beat the Chicago Bulls 101-99 Tuesday to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Game 3 is Friday at Washington. "Weve got to come out like were down 0-1 or 0-2," said Beal, who scored 11 in the fourth quarter. "Weve got to have that sense of urgency and just that drive and that motivation like we did early. Weve got to be able to maintain that lead. Weve got to continue to stay poised." The Wizards couldnt maintain a 17-point first-quarter lead and had to rally from 10 down in the fourth. Nene scored the first six points in overtime after being held in check by Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah in regulation, and the Wizards hung on after Kirk Hinrich failed to convert at the foul line in the closing seconds of overtime. Noah had just hit two free throws when Beal missed a jumper with 18 seconds left. Jimmy Butler got the rebound and Chicago called time. Hinrich, a 76 per cent free throw shooter this season, had a chance to tie it after getting fouled by Nene on a drive with 2.4 seconds left. But his first attempt hit the rim. He deliberately missed the second, and Trevor Ariza grabbed the rebound to seal the win for Washington. "I went up there thinking I was going to knock them down," Hinrich said. "Tonight, I just couldnt do it. However, I really felt that I shouldve made the layup." D.J. Augustin led Chicago with 25 points but cooled off late in the game with Ariza guarding him. Taj Gibson had 22 points and 10 rebounds. Noah added 20 points and 12 boards, but the Bulls find themselves in a huge hole after dropping two at home. They blew a 13-point lead in Game 1 and couldnt hang on after rallying in this one. Both times, they struggled in the fourth quarter, and coach Tom Thibodeau bristled when asked if he might switch up his late-game rotation. "We look at everything," he said. "Unreal." John Wall had 16 points and seven assists for Washington. The Bulls appeared to be in good shape when they were leading 87-77 five minutes into the fourth. They were still leading, 91-85, when Beal shot the Wizards back into the game. He nailed a 3-pointer that made it 91-88 and added a floater to make it a one-point game. Then, with a chance to put Washington ahead, he hit 1 of 2 free throws with 52.9 seconds left to tie it at 91. Both teams had opportunities to win it in the closing seconds but couldnt convert. "I think we did a great job staying calm and composed," Wall said. "Early in the season, we would get rattled and guys would try to make plays one on one on their own. Tonight, we trusted in our offence like weve been doing." The Bulls were leading 87-77 after a driving layup by Noah and two free throws by Butler with 6:59 left regulation. But with Beal going off, the Wizards made a run. "I cant take a lot of credit for the fourth quarter," said Beal, who scored 11 in the fourth after quiet second and third quarters. "I think we got a lot of offensive rebounds and kickouts, and John hit me on a couple. I was fortunate to be able to knock down some, and I just stayed with it. NOTES: Only three teams have dropped Games 1 and 2 at home and won a series: the 1968-69 Lakers, 1993-94 Rockets and the 2004-05 Dallas Mavericks. ... Dikembe Mutombo presented the Defensive Player of the Year award to Noah, who hoisted the trophy above his head to loud cheers before the game. ... Thibodeau praises San Antonios Gregg Popovich and Phoenixs Jeff Hornacek after they took the top two spots in the Coach of the Year vote. As for the guy who finished third? "Hes terrible," he joked. Thibodeau, of course, took the third spot after guiding the Bulls to 48 wins. It might have been his best coaching job yet, with another knee injury curtailing Derrick Roses comeback and Luol Deng getting traded away. Stitched Oilers Jerseys .500. The Jets have now won nine of their last 11, and five of their last six road games. With the win they moved to within two points of Vancouver in the west, the Canucks holding down the eighth spot. Vancouver lost in Boston, while the other big game saw Dallas win in Phoenix. Edmonton Oilers Store . - Whether its because of her improved play or the reason for it, Michelle Wie appears as comfortable on and off the golf course as at any time in her career. https://www.cheapoilers.com/.C. - The Panthers will be without starting defensive tackle Star Lotulelei for Saturday nights NFC divisional playoff game against Seattle after undergoing surgery Wednesday to repair a broken bone in his foot. Custom Edmonton Oilers Jerseys . The 48th-ranked Williams made her first appearance in Dubai since she won her second straight title here in 2010. Shed missed the last three years either because of injury or Sjogrens Syndrome. Wholesale Oilers Jerseys . Vinci also beat Dulgheru last week in Bucharest en route to her first WTA final in a year. Vinci next faces sixth-seeded Kurumi Nara of Japan, who beat Czech qualifier Katerina Siniakova 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-2. No.NEW YORK -- Yasiel Puig knew the question was coming. What about that rocket throw to third base Tuesday night? The one you made when the inning was already over? Before it was even translated into Spanish for him, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger broke into the sheepish grin of a forgetful schoolboy who keeps getting sent to the principals office for the same silly offence. And he was ready with a playful response: Blame it on teammate Juan Uribe. See, only a few days before, Uribe and third base coach Lorenzo Bundy, who doubles as a translator for Puig, were marveling out loud about how the young right fielder hadnt goofed in more than a week. Turns out, they jinxed him! At least thats the way Puig tells it. "So when he made the mistake last night," Bundy said Wednesday, "Juan came off the field, he was looking for me and he goes, Lorenzo, hes back! Hes back!" The Dodgers are accustomed to those sort of untamed miscues from Puig -- over-exuberant baserunning, wild throws from the outfield, huge hacks at the plate. They laughed off his latest gaffe against the New York Mets because it was harmless: Puig caught a routine fly for the third out and immediately whipped a laser beam across the diamond to hold an opposing runner who was only headed back to the bench. Puig got razzed in the dugout, for sure. He may have forgotten how many outs there were, but hes been right on point at the plate. The second-year star from Cuba has hit safely in 18 of his last 19 games, batting .408 with seven homers and 23 RBIs during that stretch. Hes all over the National League leaderboard, ranking second in RBIs (37) and slugging percentage (.610), fourth in on-base percentage (.427) and fifth in home runs (10). Puig credits Uribe and fellow teammate Adrian Gonzalez, among others, with helping him polish his game. Hes laying off bad pitches and having more disciplined at-bats. Hes hitting the cutoff man and eliminating fundamental mistakes on the bases. "I just think hes making adjustments," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Really his whole game has just matured, so I think that maturity has really been the key for him." All without losing the unique effervescence thats already made him a fan favourite around the majors. "Guys tthat love to play, you can just see it.ddddddddddddAnd I think thats what people love about Yasiel," Mattingly said. "You get that Little League quality thats just lovin playing baseball. And I think thats what people really like seeing. A guy that plays hard with that energy, and then the talent." The 23-year-old Puig is a rare talent, indeed. That quickly became clear when he burst into the majors with a bang last June. But hes also riled opponents with his antics on the field. Some dont like the way he flips his bat when he connects. Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner took exception to that this season and barked at Puig after he rounded third. "Its his style. Its been a way that hes played baseball for a long time," Bundy said, translating for Puig. "He doesnt really worry about the other team or what other players think about him -- other than his team, our team. "He says he tries to play the game hard, he tries to play the game happy. He wants to have a good time when hes playing. He said this is a game of entertainment. He doesnt really play it to offend people, but he does have a good time playing the game of baseball. But he doesnt really worry about the opinions of other teams." Details of Puigs dangerous escape from Cuba in June 2012 were revealed last month in a story first reported by Los Angeles Magazine. According to court documents in a federal lawsuit in Miami, smugglers who helped Puig leave his country on a speedboat have made death threats against him and a boxer who says he defected with Puig. The outfielder signed a $42 million, seven-year contract with the Dodgers, a record for a Cuban defector. And in his first visit to Citi Field this week, Puig has put on quite a show. He got three hits and reached base five times in Tuesdays series-opening victory over the Mets. He and Hanley Ramirez hit back-to-back homers in a 4-3 win Wednesday night. Asked if hed had a chance to do any sightseeing in New York, Puig said he planned to get to the Statue of Liberty on Thursday and maybe the Empire State Building. Wearing a white T-shirt with "PUIG" written in big red, white and blue letters, he said hes still not used to all the attention and he misses his friends and former teammates in Cuba. ' ' '