Without Nene, Wizards keep rolling

ByJOHN CONVERSE TOWNSEND
April 28, 2014, 4:22 AM

— -- WASHINGTON -- Visible behind Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat as he addressed the media after the game was the team's Hustle Board, which tracks charges taken, passes deflected, and the percentage of shots contested on defense. It's been around, in some form, since the 2011-12 season. But there's a new message at the bottom, which reads: "TAKE PRIDE IN DOING ALL OF THE LITTLE THINGS THAT WIN BASKETBALL GAMES."

The emphasis on the little things has had a positive effect on the Wizards as a team, and it showed in the Wizards' first home playoff win since 2008, a 98-89 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. The Wizards now lead the series 3-1.