NBA Game Summary - Washington at Chicago

Chicago, IL (Basketball News) - Gilbert Arenas drilled a jumper at the buzzer to lift the Washington Wizards to a 112-110 victory over the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 of their first round series Wednesday night.

Arenas was just 5-of-14 shooting for 16 points in the game, but he came through when it mattered, lifting up near the left elbow and getting off a tough jumper over Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich and Tyson Chandler.

"He timed it just right, like he normally does," said Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan, whose team now leads the best-of-seven series 3-2.

And it couldn’t have mattered more. If the game had gone to overtime, Chicago would have had momentum on its side after scoring 14 points in the final minute of the game.

Washington led by as many as 22 points and was ahead by double-digits with just 41 seconds remaining. But a trio of clutch three-pointers by Chicago reserve Jannero Pargo — including one that tied the game with 5.2 seconds left — forced Arenas’ heroics.

"We didn’t get rattled because we had the ball at the end of the game," said Washington guard Larry Hughes, who scored a career playoff-high 33 points.

The Wizards have now won three straight since dropping Games 1 and 2 in Chicago. They can clinch their first playoff series win since 1982 with a victory in Game 6, scheduled for Friday in Washington.

Antawn Jamison added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Wizards, and Brendan Haywood scored 17 in the win. Washington shot 56 percent.

Ben Gordon scored 11 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to lead Chicago. He ended 10-of-19 from the field after shooting just 1-of-13 for eight points in Game 4.

Hinrich added 23 points in the loss, and Chandler had 22 points and 10 rebounds.

If the Bulls want to force a seventh game at home, they will have to reverse a long losing streak in Washington, where they have dropped 10 straight games dating back to 2001.

"We’re going to have to play much, much better," said Chicago head coach Scott Skiles.

Washington’s win ended an 11-game road losing streak in the playoffs that dated back to April 18, 1986. But it didn’t come without its goose-bump moments.

Pargo hit consecutive three-pointers and Hinrich added another to get the Bulls within 109-107 with 11 seconds left in the game — this after Washington had led 108-98 just 30 seconds earlier.

The Wizards were caught in a free throw shooting slump, and when Hughes missed 1-of-2 after Hinrich’s three, they were just 2 for their last 8 at the line.

Hinrich then missed two straight free throws at the other end. But he ended up with his own rebound and found Pargo on the wing for the game-tying three.

Pargo played just three minutes off the bench, but his impact was as significant as in Game 4 when he scored seven of his 18 points in the final 50 seconds to spark another Bulls rally that fell short.

"He did a great job again," Arenas said.

The Wizards held a game-high 22-point lead when a Jamison three-pointer made it 84-62 with 3:26 remaining in the third quarter.

Chicago trimmed that lead to 13 points by the end of the period, pulling within 86-73 on Gordon’s buzzer-beating runner.

Washington controlled the first half too, shooting 64 percent for a 63-49 lead. Hughes scored 18 of his 33 points in the half.