Simply put, today is a good day to be a sports fan in Washington. Not only do we have the Nats home opener (more on that later) but last night the Wizards clinched their first playoff appearance since 1997 with a 93-82 win over the visiting Chicago Bulls. At long last the franchise has erased the failures of players like Mitch Richmond, Jerry Stackhouse and Michael Jordan, each of whom failed to lead the franchise into the promised land. It’s amazing what an 18 game (and counting) turnaround from just a year ago can do for a franchise’s image. ESPN.com writer Eric Neel even went as far as to call the Wiz the NBA’s best kept secret.

Last night’s win also allowed Washington to pull within one game of the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race and the first round home court advantage that comes with it. “It’s a wonderful day for the franchise,” said coach Eddie Jordan. “It’s a wonderful day for the city. I’m a fan as much as I am a coach. I’m happy for our city.”

It was the usual suspects that propelled the Wizards. Antawn Jamison notched his 23rd double-double of the season with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Larry Hughes added 23 and Gilbert Arenas chipped in with 21. Brendan Haywood returned a week early from his thumb injury and contributed four blocks and 11 rebounds.

Currently Washington is in 6th place in the playoff race, behind the Indiana Pacers and the Bulls with four games left in the regular season. Last night’s victory also gave the Wizards a 2-1 season series victory over the Bulls, something that would give Washington the higher playoff seed should those two teams end the regular season tied with the same record. See the rest of the NBA tiebreakers here.

Up next is LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (who are also fighting for their playoff lives) Friday at the MCI Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. on ESPN.

(Image from the AP)