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WASHINGTON - Randy Wittman learned long ago to focus on what he can control. Thats what he did over the past 2 1/2 years with the Washington Wizards. Wittmans approach helped turn the Wizards from pushover to playoff winners. Now hell have a chance to stick around following a 44-38 season, a 15-win improvement from last year, after the Wizards gave him a contract extension. "I think over the last couple of years what weve begun to establish here, continuity I think is important," Wittman said Wednesday in the hallway near the practice court at the Verizon Center. "Im appreciative of the opportunity to continue on." The Wizards reached the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and won their first post-season series since 2005. They accomplished it in the final year of Wittmans contract and under a preseason mandate to make the playoffs from owner Ted Leonsis. "I was here when it was not pretty. When you see it change, when you see the things that youve implemented begin to work, you want to continue on," the 54-year-old Wittman said. Wittman guided the Wizards to a first-round win over the Chicago Bulls before losing in six games to the top-seeded Indiana Pacers in their Eastern Conference semifinal. "Over the last 2 1/2 years really, Randy has established a great culture, a hard-working culture, a defensive-oriented team," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. "Weve been a top-10 defensive team in the league the last two years. Weve made good progress. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but were headed in the right direction." Asked if retaining Wittman was an easy decision," Grunfeld stated," Yes, it was." Having already coached rebuilding squads with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves, Wittman took over as head coach when Flip Saunders was fired in January 2012. As was the case in those other spots, losses starting piling up in Washington. Wittman has the worst regular-season record of anyone who has coached at least 400 NBA games — 191-329, a .367 winning percentage — since the league started in 1946. "Job security is fleeting, as we all know in this business," said Wittman, who played in the NBA for nine seasons. "If you worry about it, youre not going to do your job well." With John Wall sidelined, the Wizards opened the 2012-13 season with a 4-28 record. When their point guard returned, Washington finished 24-25. With Wall healthy and turning into a first-time All-Star alongside backcourt partner Bradley Beal, Washington ended the 2013-14 season fifth in the Eastern Conference. Washington has plenty of decisions remaining. Two starters — centre Marcin Gortat and forward Trevor Ariza — are unrestricted free agents. Overall, 10 players are entering some level of free agency or the organization must decide whether to exercise a team option. Though Wittman and Grunfeld have stated a desire to the keep the core intact, the roster could certainly look different next season. But the man on the sideline will be familiar. Air Max 90 Australia Cheap . The club says Fridays surgery was successful. Holiday, a former Eastern Conference All-Star acquired from Philadelphia last summer, has not played because of the shin injury since Jan. Wholesale Air Max 90 Australia . The Wild, playing their first game since leading scorer Mikko Koivu broke his ankle Saturday at Washington, have won three straight for the first time since Nov. 1-5. Koivu underwent surgery on Monday and is expected to miss at least four weeks. http://www.wholesaleairmax90australia.com/ .com) - Former foes from the Mountain West Conference battle in the 23rd annual Las Vegas Bowl, as the 23rd-ranked Utah Utes clash with the Colorado State Rams at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday. Cheap Air Max 90 Australia . Orlov, who scored two goals in the game, was assessed a major penalty for boarding on the play. The Flyers scored once on the power play and again with the extra attacker with 65 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. Discount Air Max 90 Australia . If one fighter gases, he usually gets beat up pretty bad from that point on.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Rick Porcello hasnt won any Cy Young awards like three of his teammates, but he has pitched some of the better games of the season for the Detroit Tigers. One of them came Wednesday night when Porcello pitched a three-hitter for his AL-leading third shutout, a 6-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. "Nine shutout innings. You literally cant ask for anything more," said Tiger manager Brad Ausmus. Victor Martinez hit a grand slam and drove in five runs for the Tigers, who handed the Rays their fourth loss in a row. Porcello (14-8) moved into a tie for the league lead in wins, retiring 20 straight batters after Ben Zobrists double in the first. "I felt pretty good from the get-go really," he said. "Even the hit I gave up to Zobrist was a good pitch, and I felt pretty confident that if I kept making pitches like that I was going to get guys out and pitch deep into the game." Porcello walked none and struck out four in his first win since Aug. 2. He matched Miamis Henderson Alvarez for the major league lead in shutouts and became the first Tiger with three in a season since Jeff Weaver in 2002. "I think the biggest thing, when you get a game going like that, is to get the first guy out," Porcello said. "If you can get the first guy out, especially for me, or keep the double play intact when somebody does get on base, that makes the game a lot quicker." The Rays were shut out for the 15th time, most of any American League team. They didnt get a leadoff man on base until the eighth. "From the side it looked like a wiffle ball, like playing in your back yard and the ball is just doing all kinds of weird things," said Rays manager Joe Maddon. "For the most part (Porcello got) a lot of groundball outs.dddddddddddd Thats what he is." Martinez hit his fourth career slam, connecting off Kirby Yates in the seventh inning, completing a five-run burst started by Rajai Davis two-out double. It was the 24th homer of the season for Martinez. Martinez drove in the Tigers first run with a two-out double in the first after Miguel Cabreras single. Cabrera also walked twice and scored two runs. Wil Myers, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, went 0 for 3 as the designated hitter in his return to the Rays lineup after missing 70 games because of a broken right wrist. "Really didnt get a pitch over the plate to hit. Its just one of those games," Myers said. "I could have been coming into this game and been really hot, but the way he pitched I think the results would have been the same." Rays starter Jake Odorizzi (9-10) gave up three runs while striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings. TRAINERS ROOM Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander (sore right shoulder) could rejoin the rotation Saturday after missing one start. Rays: OF David DeJesus (broken left hand) resumed a rehab assignment with Single-A Charlotte. He had taken three days off due to soreness in the hand. UP NEXT Former Rays ace David Price (12-8) will face his old team Thursday for the first time since being dealt to Detroit on July 31. Tampa Bay will counter with RHP Alex Cobb (8-6). "Its still weird, but once the game starts, its me vs. the Tigers lineup," Cobb said. "Its going to be more weird for him, I think, facing the Rays." HIT IT HARD PGA Tour golfer John Daly threw out the ceremonial first pitch. 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