WASHINGTON -- If Trevor Ariza can hit every 3-pointer he takes, if four starters can routinely score 20 points, if Marcin Gortat can keep asserting him as an inside scoring threat, and, well, if the opponent is always the Orlando Magic, the Washington Wizards will do just fine without Nene. Miami Heat Jerseys . In their first game since their Brazilian big mans latest injury, the Wizards took advantage of a favourable opponent and showed they know how to win without him. John Wall had 27 points and seven assists, Trevor Ariza scored 22 points by making all five of his 3s, and Gortat added 21 points and 10 rebounds Tuesday night in a 115-106 win over the Magic. "I automatically tried to put myself in the situation to score," said Gortat, who was 9 for 13 from the field. "I yell to John. Sometimes hes going to yell back at me, then I would just say, Hey, Nenes not here. This is what Ive got to do to lead this team, help this team inside, and Im going to run to the block and demand the ball, and I believe Im capable of doing it." Bradley Beal added 21 points, giving Washington four 20-point scorers for the first time since April 6, 2010. The Wizards have won a season-high four in a row to move one game above .500. They also improved to 2-6 this season without the pivotal but oft-injured Nene, who sprained the MCL in his left knee Sunday in a win at Cleveland and is expected to miss six weeks. Victor Oladipo scored 26 points and Nikola Vucevic added 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Magic, who tied a single-season franchise record by losing their 16th consecutive road game. They remain without leading scorer Arron Afflalo, who missed his second game with a sprained right ankle. "We scored," Vucevic said. "We just couldnt get stops, and you cant do that on the road." In case there was any thought that Nenes injury would give the Wizards a convenient excuse to miss the post-season for the sixth straight year, owner Ted Leonsis began the day with a wakeup call via his blog, posting "Our goals have not changed in any way" and the team must overcome injuries and "whatever else comes our way." Leonsis has made it clear that another year in the NBA lottery would not be acceptable. The Wizards sit in fifth place in the weak Eastern Conference, and coach Randy Wittman and team president Ernie Grunfeld are both in the last season of their contracts. The Wizards are 60-61 when Nene plays and 9-34 when he doesnt since he was acquired in a trade two years ago. Washington also played Tuesdays game without forward Kevin Seraphin, who has a sore right knee. For the players, Leonsis message was hardly necessary. Theyre also tired of having the season end in mid-April. "If youre an All-Star and those type of players, youve got to step up and take on a bigger role," said Wall, who played in his first All-Star game this month. "And thats a situation Im willing to accept and do. ... Just having that energy that I have when play good against those other good point guards, to do it on a consistent basis, thats something I really have to step up to another level with Nene being out." The only starter in single digits was Nenes fill-in, Trevor Booker, who had three points and seven rebounds. The team planned to sign Drew Gooden to a 10-day contract in time for the next game, Thursday against the Toronto Raptors. The Wizards led for nearly the entire game, but it was never a blowout. Washington had a 17-point lead in the second and third quarters, but Oladipo and Vucevic led an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to six late in the third. The Magic got as close as eight in the final period, but Ariza got a fortuitous bounce on a 3-pointer to restore a comfortable lead. "I guess Ive been living right, doing the right things," Ariza said. "The shot clock was running down. It hit the front of the rim, I think it hit the backboard and went in, so its all good." NOTES: Orlando had no fast-break points. ... The Magic also lost 16 road games in a row in a single season in early 2006. The franchise record over more than one season is 17 -- the final 12 road games of last season and the first five of this season. ... The Magic had two new faces on the bench. C Dewayne Dedmon and swingman Adonis Thomas signed 10-day deals earlier in the day. Dion Waiters Jersey . With Bernard hurt, the second-round pick has emerged.Hill ran for 152 yards during a 27-10 win at New Orleans on Sunday, his second big game. He also ran for 154 yards against Jacksonville earlier this season. Dwyane Wade Jersey . Three days after falling to Hamilton, Abbotsford scored three goals in 53 seconds en route to a convincing 5-1 win over the Bulldogs Saturday in American Hockey League play. http://www.authenticbasketballshopheat.com/customized/ .com) - The surging Montreal Canadiens will try to match their longest winning streak of the season when they visit the Florida Panthers for Saturdays clash at BB&T Center.MALMO, SWEDEN – While sitting in the stands at the Malmo Isstadion on Boxing Day serving the second game of a four-game suspension, Griffin Reinhart was surprised to hear the voice of Zach Fucale. Team Canadas backup goalie at the time was on the bench and, per usual, running his mouth. What was he saying? "I dont even know," said Reinhart, the big Edmonton Oil Kings defenceman, "just kind of gibberish." "Maybe he just didnt understand me," said Fucale with a grin. The Halifax Mooseheads goalie talks a good game. Literally. "I like to just keep a little play-by-play of the game by myself," said the 18-year-old Montreal Canadiens prospect. "I talk a lot and encourage everyone as well." WATCH: Sportscentre story on Fucales special night and why his teammates say hes different than most goalies Hes been doing it so long he cant remember when he started. It may seem strange, but it seems to be working. Fucales trophy case already includes a Memorial Cup championship won in May and an Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament title in 2012. In short tournaments like those, being vocal goes a long way in terms of helping defencemen adjust to playing in front of a new goalie as well as with a new partner. "We dont play with each other all year long so its important we talk a lot and communicate as much as we can," Fucale notes. "Theres not a detail you can really miss in this type of tournament so if we talk a lot well be on the same page." Fucale started the 2014 World Junior Hockey Championship as Jake Patersons understudy, but parlayed a steady 19-save performance against Slovakia on Monday into another start the next night against the Americans. With first place on the line, Fucale held the fort during another slow start by his teammates, turning aside all 13 first-period shots faced. He stoned Connor Carrick on a breakaway late in the third to preserve what ended up as a 3-2 victory. Tim Hardaway Jersey. . During the third period and also post-game the thousands of fans in attendance chanted Fucales name. WATCH: Post2Post: Jamie McLennan breaks down Fucales seven "10-bell saves" v USA When his teammates and even head coach Brent Sutter talk about Fucale the word "swagger" comes up quite a bit. "Hes always cocky," said forward Charles Hudon. "Not cocky like he wants to show-up everyone, but cocky for himself. I played with him in peewee and bantam (in Boisbriand, Que.) and he had the same swagger." "Hes all about confidence and thats what you need," said Val-dOr forward Anthony Mantha, who is tied for the tournament lead with 10 points. Goalies will often be in their own world and keep to themselves in the dressing room. Fucale, though, bucks the trend. "Hes a confident guy and a loud guy," said Team Canada captain Scott Laughton. "Ive never seen a goalie so loud in the room. Hes been very good for us staying positive when he wasnt playing. In the room, hes one of the more vocal guys. Ive never seen that before from a goalie. Usually theyre pretty quiet, but its just like hes one of the guys." "Around the room, you see a lot of goalies are pretty weird and they have certain routines," said forward Connor McDavid, "You cant talk to them [at certain times], but, honestly, Zachs really relaxed and he does have that swagger." Fucale, for his part, wasnt sure how to respond when asked if he had a lot of swagger. "I dont know," he said. "I try to just stay low key and do my job. Maybe I talk a lot in the room, but I dont know about that." What he does know is that the win over the United States wont mean anything unless his team plays well in the knockout rounds starting on Thursday against Switzerland. "The round robin doesnt really count," said Fucale. "Its Game 7 now." Cheap Capitals Jerseys Cheap Blackhawks Jerseys Cheap Avalanche Jerseys Cheap Stars Jerseys Cheap Wild Jerseys Cheap Predators Jerseys Cheap Blues Jerseys Cheap Jets Jerseys Cheap Ducks Jerseys Cheap Coyotes Jerseys Wholesale Flames Jerseys Cheap Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Oilers Jerseys Cheap Kings Jerseys Cheap Sharks Jerseys Cheap Canucks Jerseys ' ' '