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It took Wall one additional outing to be absolutely certain he’ d be OK after coming back from surgery on his left knee, pointing to his 29-point, 12-assist effort against Boston five days later.

”I had a big game,” he said Monday, looking back at that victory from a couple of weeks ago. ”Kind of just started to see shots fall that I was falling short on the couple of games I had before that.”

As Wall prepares to lead the No. 8 seed Wizards into Game 5 against the No. 1 seed Raptors on Wednesday night in Toronto, it is as if he never was away for more than two months. As if he never needed that operation in the first place. As if he got a chance to ramp up for the postseason for more than merely four games.

And all of that outside chatter about whether Washington might just be better off without him, based on the team going 8-2 at the start of his absence in January and February, sure seems silly right about now. Especially after Wall carried Washington to a 106-98 victory in Game 4 on Sunday night by scoring eight of the host’s last 14 points and adding an assist – plus tight defense on DeMar DeRozan – after Bradley Beal fouled out with about five minutes left.

Did it while playing all 24 minutes in the second half, too. Plus, Wall revealed Monday that he twisted his right ankle down the stretch Corey Grant Jersey , although he declared himself fine.

”It’s always pulling teeth to try to get him off the court,” Brooks said. ”I like that. As a coach, you want that.”

Now Washington will need to grab a victory on the road at least once to claim a series in which the home team has won every game so far.

”You put John Wall on this team for 82 games,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said, ”and I guarantee they wouldn’t be eighth.”

Instead, Wall appeared in only 41 games this season, missing all four that Washington played against Toronto. But he sure is looking good when the games count the most.

He is averaging 26.8 points, 13 assists and 4.8 rebounds in the series.

And here’ s an obscure, yet telling, stat offered up by the Wizards: Wall joined Magic Johnson as the only players with at least 27 points Pharoh Cooper Jersey , 14 assists and six rebounds in two consecutive playoff games.

”It was just a matter of time before he got back to himself,” Wizards forward Markieff Morris said. ”He just needed to get some games under his belt. Basically, just get his feet under him, get his wind back, and he would get back to how he was playing. Because he’s a competitor.”

That aspect of Wall’ s persona came out when he was trading barbs with Canadian rapper Drake during the series’ first two games in Toronto, when the Raptors were taking a 2-0 lead.

”I told him to be here for Game 3. He told me he was going to be here. Didn’t show up. He told me we were getting swept and he had the broom for us,” Wall said. ”I wanted him to know they weren’t going to sweep us.”

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Associated Press writer Ian Harrison in Toronto contributed to this report.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have added another major piece to their defensive line, trading for New York Giants two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl 46 champion Jason Pierre Paul.ESPN's Adam Schefter first broke the news:Another blockbuster trade: Giants trading DE Jason Pierre-Paul and a 2018 fourth-round pick to Buccaneers for a 2018 third-round pick and a fourth-round pick, source tells ESPN.— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 22, 2018Pierre-Paul Trey Burton Jerseyl , 29, has been one of the NFL's most dominant pass-rushers since breaking into the NFL eight years ago. He's registered 58.5 sacks, 42 passes defended and 11 forced fumbles.His best season was 2011, when JPP had 16.5 sacks and helped the Giants win Super Bowl 46 over the New England Patriots, 24-20. Pierre-Paul hasn't been the same dominant force since 2014, however.That's because he suffered a gruesome hand injury from a fireworks accident in the summer of 2015. Pierre-Paul's right index finger had to be amputated, and injuries have slowed down some of his production.But Pierre-Paul will get a fresh start with a talented young Buccaneers team that is filled with talented pass-rushers. This includes recently-signed defensive end Vinny Curry, who was released by the Philadelphia Eagles after winning Super Bowl 52.Tampa Bay also features another trio in steady pass-rushers that include Lavonte David, Gerald McCoy and Noah Spence. Should Curry and JPP reach their full skill levels in Tampa, this team could make some major noise in a tough NFC South Division.For the Giants Geoff Swaim Jersey , some roster overhauls were necessary after winning just three games in 2017. They own the second-overall pick in this year's draft, and many expect them to draft one of the top quarterback prospects to eventually succeed Eli Manning.But as Schefter noted, trading Pierre-Paul could mean the Giants are thinking otherwise with the second pick:Now that the Giants have traded Jason Pierre-Paul to the Buccaneers, maybe they consider Bradley Chubb at No. 2.— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 22, 2018The Giants certainly have to rebuild a defense that went from elite in 2016 (second-best in points allowd per game), to terrible in 2017. With Pierre-Paul gone, New York will most definitely draft a pass-rusher in one of the early rounds.As for the Buccaneers, it's safe to assume they'll own one of the NFL's best pass-rushing units next season - should all the players fit the system properly. Mohamed Bamba Jersey