Jordan comeback lives up to fans' expectations

Michael Jordan showed fans his comeback to the NBA after a three-year lay-off was worth the wait, as he scored 27 points on Tuesday night to lead his Washington Wizards to victory.

"It was a great finish tonight," said Jordan, who hit two clinching baskets in the final three minutes as the Wizards defeated New Jersey 105-92. "We've been in situations where I didn't play in the fourth quarter and the team didn't maintain the success we had up to that point.

"Seeing that I'm a veteran leader, in the fourth quarter, I like to create some threats, get other guys open and, if possible, finish the job myself."

Keith Van Horn's three-pointer cut the Wizards' lead to 94-90, then Jordan hit a jump shot from the left with 2min 43sec left. After New Jersey's Jason Kidd missed a three-pointer, Jordan again freed himself for a basket as Washington won for the first time in four pre-season games.

As if to announce he was back to the capacity crowd of 14,313, Jordan went one-on-one with Kidd and hit a closing jumper to loud cheers and a flurry of flash bulbs. It was Jordan's longest outing of the pre-season, at 36 minutes. He netted 10 of 23 attempts with 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals. He also had six turnovers.

Van Horn led the Nets' points tally with 22 points, and Todd MacCulloch had 21.

The last time Jordan played in Greenville seven years ago he was a baseball player carrying a 13-game hitting streak for the Birmingham Barons. Fans packed Greenville Stadium, but Jordan was held hitless by future major-leaguer Jason Schmidt.

Jordan looked much more comfortable inside Greenville's Bi-Lo Center. He brought the capacity crowd to its feet with a one-handed slam in the first quarter, then scored eight successive points in the second to put Washington ahead 43-36. On his final basket in that run, Jordan strode in from the right side, took a sweet pass from Tyronn Lue and glided in for high-rising lay-up.

"I feel good," Jordan said after his fourth game in six days. "I got into a rush mode, but my legs felt good. I'm not where I want to be yet."

The Washington coach Doug Collins says his team struggles to find an identity without Jordan in the game, but that didn't happen against the Nets as the Wizards increased their lead slightly over the first six minutes of the second quarter with Jordan resting.

Popeye Jones had six points and Richard Hamilton added four in the span, and the Wizards were ahead 33-30 when Jordan returned.

Jordan had a poor opening quarter before taking control. He hit a fadeaway, was fouled twice and made all four free throws and finished things with the lay-up from Lue.

Collins hopes his young club can get the rhythm that Jordan plays. "It's almost like a jazz musician, the way he does his job," he said.

When New Jersey's Kenyon Martin came to the bench after guarding Jordan, Martin called to team-mate Richard Jefferson, "Coming at you," he called, pointing to Jordan, who looked at Martin and laughed.

"You can tell he still has the ability to take over a game," the Nets coach Byron Scott said of Jordan. "He's not jumping over people and floating to the rim like he used to, but he's using his smarts and experience more than anything."