Box Score

 

DENVER (74)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
R Bowen             13   1-3   0-0   1-3   4   1    2
J Howard            43 11-18   3-4   1-7   2   2   25
N Hilario           30   3-7   1-1   2-6   2   4    7
V Yarbrough         30  4-14   0-0   0-2   2   4    8
L Harrington        31   4-9   0-0   0-3   8   6    8
D Harvey            21   2-8   0-0   4-8   1   5    4
C Andersen          17   2-6   1-1   3-4   0   0    5
M Blount             6   1-3   0-0   0-1   1   0    2
J Crotty            17   1-3   1-2   0-1   2   2    4
R White             27   2-8   4-4   0-4   1   0    8
N Tskitishvili       5   0-2   1-2   0-1   0   0    1
M Camby            DNP  - SPRAINED RIGHT ANKLE                           
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 31-81 11-14 11-40  23  24   74
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.383, FT-.786. 3-Point Goals:
1-6, .167 (V Yarbrough 0-1, J Crotty 1-2, R 
White 0-2, N Tskitishvili 0-1). Team 
Rebounds: 9. Blocked Shots:3 (J Howard, V 
Yarbrough, L Harrington). Turnovers:16 (D 
Harvey 4, N Hilario 3, J Crotty 2, R White 2,
L Harrington 2, J Howard, M Blount, V 
Yarbrough). Steals: 9 (J Howard 2, N Hilario 
2, L Harrington 2, R Bowen, D Harvey, R 
White).


WASHINGTON (89)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
B Russell           26   3-4   3-5   1-6   2   3   10
C Laettner          26   1-5   2-3   0-3   3   3    4
B Haywood           23   1-3   2-2   2-2   0   3    4
M Jordan            42 11-22   3-4   1-5   6   3   25
L Hughes            38  8-15   4-6   3-5   2   3   20
E Thomas            25   3-4   4-4   1-8   0   3   10
T Lue               22   4-7   1-1   0-1   4   1   10
K Brown             19   0-3   0-0   2-5   1   0    0
J Dixon             18   1-7   2-2   0-3   1   1    4
B Simmons            1   1-1   0-0   0-0   0   0    2
C Oakley           DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
J Stackhouse       DNP  - LEFT GROIN PULL                                
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 33-71 21-27 10-38  19  20   89
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.465, FT-.778. 3-Point Goals:
2-10, .200 (B Russell 1-2, M Jordan 0-2, L 
Hughes 0-1, T Lue 1-2, J Dixon 0-3). Team 
Rebounds: 10. Blocked Shots:9 (E Thomas 3, B 
Haywood 3, C Laettner 2, M Jordan). 
Turnovers:14 (M Jordan 3, B Russell 2, C 
Laettner 2, E Thomas 2, L Hughes 2, B 
Haywood, K Brown, J Dixon). Steals: 8 (B 
Russell 2, C Laettner, L Hughes, M Jordan, E 
Thomas, B Haywood, J Dixon).

-------------------------------------------
DENVER               26  16  15  17   -  74
WASHINGTON           23  16  25  25   -  89
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Denver - 2 (L Harrington, 
0:05 2nd; COACH Bzdelik, 3:36 3rd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 20,173. T: 2:04. 
Officials: George Toliver, Marc Davis, Ted 
Bernhardt.

Extended Box

 

DENVER (74) AT WASHINGTON (89)

DENVER

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
R BOWEN           F    13    1-3      0-0      1   2   3    4   1   1   0    2
J HOWARD          F    43   11-18     3-4      1   6   7    2   2   2   1   25
N HILARIO         C    30    3-7      1-1      2   4   6    2   4   2   3    7
V YARBROUGH       G    30    4-14     0-0      0   2   2    2   4   0   1    8
L HARRINGTON      G    31    4-9      0-0      0   3   3    8   6   2   2    8
D HARVEY               21    2-8      0-0      4   4   8    1   5   1   4    4
C ANDERSEN             17    2-6      1-1      3   1   4    0   0   0   0    5
M BLOUNT                6    1-3      0-0      0   1   1    1   0   0   1    2
J CROTTY               17    1-3      1-2      0   1   1    2   2   0   2    4
R WHITE                27    2-8      4-4      0   4   4    1   0   1   2    8
N TSKITISHVILI          5    0-2      1-2      0   1   1    0   0   0   0    1
M CAMBY               DNP  - SPRAINED RIGHT ANKLE                                     
  
TOTALS                240   31-81    11-14    11  29  40   23  24   9  16   74
                            (.383)  (.786)  TEAM REBS:  9 TOTAL TO: 17 (15 PTS)    

WASHINGTON

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
B RUSSELL         F    26    3-4      3-5      1   5   6    2   3   2   2   10
C LAETTNER        F    26    1-5      2-3      0   3   3    3   3   1   2    4
B HAYWOOD         C    23    1-3      2-2      2   0   2    0   3   1   1    4
M JORDAN          G    42   11-22     3-4      1   4   5    6   3   1   3   25
L HUGHES          G    38    8-15     4-6      3   2   5    2   3   1   2   20
E THOMAS               25    3-4      4-4      1   7   8    0   3   1   2   10
T LUE                  22    4-7      1-1      0   1   1    4   1   0   0   10
K BROWN                19    0-3      0-0      2   3   5    1   0   0   1    0
J DIXON                18    1-7      2-2      0   3   3    1   1   1   1    4
B SIMMONS               1    1-1      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    2
C OAKLEY              DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
J STACKHOUSE          DNP  - LEFT GROIN PULL                                          
  
TOTALS                240   33-71    21-27    10  28  38   19  20   8  14   89
                            (.465)  (.778)  TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 14 (14 PTS)    
  
   DENVER             26   16   15   17   -   74
   WASHINGTON         23   16   25   25   -   89
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: DENVER - J HOWARD, V YARBROUGH, L HARRINGTON.  WASHINGTON -
E THOMAS 3, B HAYWOOD 3, C LAETTNER 2, M JORDAN.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: DENVER 1-6 (.167), V YARBROUGH 0-1, J CROTTY 1-
2, R WHITE 0-2, N TSKITISHVILI 0-1. WASHINGTON 2-10 (.200), B RUSSELL 1-
2, M JORDAN 0-2, L HUGHES 0-1, T LUE 1-2, J DIXON 0-3.
TECHNICAL FOULS: DENVER - L HARRINGTON, COACH BZDELIK.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: GEORGE TOLIVER, MARC DAVIS, TED BERNHARDT.
A - 20,173. T - 2:04.

Game Story

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- Michael Jordan scored 16 of his 25 
points in the second half as the Washington Wizards completed a
four-game homestand with an 89-74 victory over the Denver
Nuggets.

Jordan made 11-of-22 shots and handed out six assists as the
Wizards defeated the Nuggets for the fourth straight time and
gained a split of their homestand.  Jordan scored 10 points in a
12-4 run that he capped with a baseline jumper for an 84-70
lead with 2:15 left in the fourth quarter.

"It was a pretty feisty game," Jordan said.  "It kind of woke us
up because we were in a fog early.  Conversation got a little
loud, and I think it woke everybody up and from that point on we
were in the game, in a dogfight, not just on the court but in a
war of words."

Larry Hughes, who missed most of the second half of Saturday's
88-80 loss to Philadelphia with the flu, added 20 points in 38
minutes for Washington.

"I felt good," Hughes said.  "I felt energized to play the game,
and then to win the game.  I was looking to be aggressive, and
I felkt myself out there."

Former Wizard Juwan Howard scored 15 of his 25 points in the
first half, when the Nuggets held a 42-39 edge.  Howard made
11-of-18 shots and was the only player to score in double figues
for Denver, which lost for the fourth time in five games.

Howard, who heard boos from the sellout crowd of 20,173 at the
MCI Center, was the only Nugget to shoot 50 percent.

"Nah, not a one-man gang. Maybe America's Most Wanted," Howard
responded when asked how he felt leading Denver's offense.  "I
love when I come here and they boo me. I'm the guy you love to
hate, baby.

"I love it when they boo me. I remember times I used to go to
Miami, after that contract situation, and they used to boo me
every time in Miami, and I made sure every time I tried to light
'em up. But more importantly, I'm just upset with the fact we
lost the game. It's not an individual thing of me against the
fans, it's the Wizards against the Nuggets."

Etan Thomas contributed 10 points and eight rebounds, while
fellow reserve Tyronn Lue and Bryon Russell also scored 10
points for Washington, which improved to 21-20, the same record
it had at the midway point last season.

"It is a first half of the season that we can improve on," said
Jordan, who missed most of the second half last season after
undergoing knee surgery in late February.  "We are 21-20.  That
means we are above .500, but we gave away a few games that could
have been better.  We have gone through some injuries.  In the
conference, I would like to see us improve in the second half so
we can really take hold of who we are, our identity and just
play better basketball."

Guard Jerry Stackhouse missed the homestand with a groin problem
but could return Wednesday at New Orleans.

The Wizards outscored the Nuggets, 25-15, in the third quarter,
when Denver shot just 22 percent (4-of-18).

Brendan Haywood scored all four of his points during an 11-2
burst that he capped with two free throws to give Washington a
54-48 lead with 4:31 remaining in the third period.

The Wizards held a seven-point advantage after three quarters,
but Denver closed within 68-64 on a 20-footer by Howard with
7:05 left.  Lue and Rodney White traded baskets before Jordan
drilled a 16-footer to give the Wizards a 74-66 advantage with
5:35 remaining and ignite the decisive run.