WASHINGTON -- With the NBA regular season in the final stretch, Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic are pushing the Phoenix Suns in the right direction, with a five-game winning streak keeping them in the Western Conference playoff chase. John Walls Washington Wizards, meanwhile, are headed the opposite way, losing four of their last five games to let teams behind them in the East inch closer. After letting a 25-point lead dwindle to three Wednesday night, Bledsoe and Dragic got back to business and combined to finish with 48 points, 13 assists and 13 rebounds in Phoenixs 99-93 victory over Washington. "Im glad," Dragic said, "that we didnt panic." The surprising Suns moved into a tie with the Dallas Mavericks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Both clubs are 43-29 with 10 games remaining. "We dont care what other people think," Dragic said. "Before the season, they were saying were going to win 15 games." The Suns have won seven of their last eight, coinciding with Bledsoes return to the starting lineup after missing 33 games because of knee surgery. He had 23 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and Dragic wound up with 25 points, six assists and seven rebounds. "We were missing him those two months," Dragic said about his backcourt mate. "Now hes back and he looks good. Its much easier for me to play with him. He can handle the ball, I can handle the ball." Wizards centre Marcin Gortat, who used to play for the Suns, offered high praise for their pair of guards. "These guys are hungry. They bring it every night. They compete every night. They know what theyre playing for," Gortat said. "They have character, a lot of will to win the game." Gortat was not nearly as complimentary about his current teammates, who are sixth in the Eastern Conference but now are only 1 1/2 games ahead of No. 7 Charlotte, which beat Brooklyn 116-111 in overtime Wednesday. Gortat called Washingtons showing "embarrassing" and added: "Sometimes we show that mentally we are weak and just not competing. Thats it." Wall, who led Washington with 29 points and six assists, and coach Randy Wittman preferred to put the blame on poor defence that allowed Phoenix to shoot 50 per cent on 3-pointers for the game (14 of 28). Phoenix made 7 of 9 field-goal tries during a 17-4 run to open the second half. The Suns led by as much as 75-50 in the third quarter, but Washington kept chipping away at that, getting as close as 83-79 on Walls three-point play with a little more than 8 minutes remaining. But an 8-0 run by Phoenix that closed with Dragics 3-pointer followed by his reverse layup gave the Suns some breathing room. Washington again cut into the lead, though, and when Wall made consecutive driving layups, it was 93-90 with 1 1/2 minutes left. Sure enough, Dragic and Bledsoe again responded. Bledsoe hit a 3 off Dragics assist, and then Dragic fed Gerald Green, who was fouled and made two free throws. And that was pretty much that. Bledsoe called it "a sloppy win," but knows that his team is going to fare well when six players each make at least one 3-pointer, as happened Wednesday. "We live by the 3, die by the 3, most likely. Thats how it is," Bledsoe said. "When were making 3, its tough to beat us." Notes: Wizards G Bradley Beal missed the end of the first half and beginning of the second because he went to the locker room for treatment of a right hip pointer after a Suns player landed on him. Beal said he hopes to play Friday against visiting Indiana. ... The Suns had lost their previous three games against the Wizards, including at Phoenix in January. ... Wall reached 100 3-pointers for the season for the first time in his NBA career, and he joins Beal, Trevor Ariza and Martell Webster to give Washington a franchise-high four players with at least that many. 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At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Nike Zoom Clearance . Both sides of the deal have formally announced acquisitions: TFC introduced Jozy Altidore as a designated player on Friday, while their counterparts announced a three-and-a-half-year deal with Jermain Defoe.BUCHAREST, Romania - Romanias most successful soccer club is fighting to keep its name and military identity following a dispute with the army and a court ruling that has taken away its colours.Steaua Bucharest, the only Romanian team to win the European Cup and national champion a record 25 times, was forced into anonymity last week.Last Wednesday, a court ruling banned the Romanian champion from keeping its emblem, name, colours and past results.The team was identified only as hosts for Sundays 1-0 victory over CSMS Iasi and played in a yellow strip instead of its usual red and blue.Hundreds of fans shouted We are Steaua! before the match and others hoisted a banner saying History lives through us!That history includes the communist era when the club, founded as an army club in 1948, was supported by Valentin Ceausescu, the elder son of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu, who were executed in December 1989 during the anti-communist revolt.dddddddddddd. Steaua won the European Cup in 1986, beating Barcelona in a penalty shootout in the final.Red Star Belgrade is the only other East European club to have won Europes premier club competition. It defeated Marseille in 1991, also in a penalty shootout following a goalless draw.On Monday, Romanias defence ministry agreed to a one week reprieve that allows the club to continue using its military identity until December 15.That means Steaua can use its name, emblem and colours when it plays Dinamo Kyiv in a Europa League match in Bucharest on Thursday.The army is seeking millions of euros for the rights which the owner says he cannot afford.Steaua is currently top of the Romanian league, nine points ahead of second-placed CFR Cluj.Owner Gigi Becali is in prison on corruption charges. ' ' '