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| November 18, 2001 | Sunday | Ramazan 2, 1422 |
Jordan’s efforts fail to save Wizards
WASHINGTON, Nov 17: Michael Jordan poured in a season-high 44 points but all he had to show for his considerable efforts was another defeat as the Washington Wizards fell to the Utah Jazz 101-92 Friday.
Jordan was facing the Jazz for the first time since draining the winning basket in Game Six of the 1998 NBA Finals to give the Chicago Bulls their sixth championship in eight years.
This time against Utah, a 38-year-old Jordan matched the longest losing streak of his career, a six-game slide in 1989.
In the best shooting night of his comeback, Jordan hit 17-of-33 shots from the floor. But he received virtually no help from his team mates, as Jordan made more shots than the other 10 Wizards, who combined for 15 baskets.
Richard Hamilton was the only other Wizard in double figures with 14 points, but he made just four of 15 shots.
In sharp contrast, the Jazz turned in a solid team effort.
Karl Malone had 30 points and 12 rebounds, Donyell Marshall added 28 points and John Stockton dished out 17 assists for Utah, which bounced back from a 32-point loss at Atlanta.
Quincy Lewis chipped in with 18 points, including two key baskets in the fourth quarter that put the Jazz ahead to stay.
Jordan converted a pair of 3-point plays to erase a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and knot the game at 87-87. But Utah outscored Washington 14-5 the rest of the way.
In Phoenix, Penny Hardaway scored 20 points and Stephon Marbury added 18 to lead five Suns in double figures as Phoenix handed the Los Angeles Lakers their first loss of the season, a 95-83 setback after the NBA champions started the season 7-0.
Shaquille O’Neal had 28 points and 12 rebounds but made just 8-of-18 free throws and Kobe Bryant scored 18 but missed 10-of-15 shots from the floor as the Lakers were outscored 53-39 in the second half.
The loss was the first regular-season defeat for the Lakers since April 1 and just the Suns fourth win over Los Angeles in their last 23 meetings.
At Indiana, Terrell Brandon scored five of his 22 points in the second overtime as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Indiana Pacers 120-113 to improve to 7-1 — the best start in franchise history.
The Pacers missed baskets that would have won the game at the end of regulation and the first overtime and ran out of steam in the second extra session as Minnesota scored the first six points in double overtime and never looked back.
Kevin Garnett led the Timberwolves with 24 points and 10 rebounds and Wally Szczerbiak added 22 points.
Jalen Rose scored 31 points, Al Harrington added a career-high 25 and Reggie Miller had 23 for Indiana, which got 12 points, 15 assists, nine rebounds and six steals from rookie Jamaal Tinsley.
At New Jersey, Kerry Kittles scored the final seven points of the third quarter and the Nets outscored the Knicks 29-12 in the fourth to complete a 109-83 rout of New York.
Kenyon Martin scored 21 for New Jersey, Kittles finished with 18 and Jason Kidd had 12 points and handed out 15 assists as the Nets posted their fifth straight win to improve to 7-1, extending the best start in franchise history.
Latrell Sprewell led the Knicks with 25 points but was held scoreless in the final quarter.
In Miami, Baron Davis scored 23 points, David Wesley added 21 and Elden Campbell chipped in 18 as the Charlotte Hornets beat the undermanned Heat 96-87.
Without big men Alonzo Mourning and Brian Grant, the Heat were held to 14 points in the fourth quarter and suffered their fifth straight loss.
Vladimir Stepania stepped in for the ill Mourning at center and a big game — 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks.
In Philadelphia, Aaron McKie scored 20 points, Allen Iverson added 19 and Dikembe Mutombo chipped in with 16 points and three blocks against his former teams as the 76ers rolled to a 98-78 rout of the Atlanta Hawks.
Jason Terry led Atlanta with 15 points and Shareef Abdur-Rahim had a double-double with 12 and 10 rebounds, but Philadelphia improved to 4-0 since the return of last season’s NBA MVP Iverson from elbow surgery after an 0-5 start.
In San Antonio, Tim Duncan scored 27 points and a red hot Steve Smith was 6-for-6 from 3-point range as the Spurs took their winning streak to five with a 105-91 triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Smith finished with 22 points and Malik Rose added 18 and 11 rebounds off the bench for San Antonio.
The Sonics have won nine in a row over the Warriors overall and 18 of the last 19.
FRIDAY’S RESULTS (HOME TEAM IN CAPS):
PHILADELPHIA 98 Atlanta 78
Utah 101 WASHINGTON 92
Charlotte 96 MIAMI 87
NEW JERSEY 109 New York 83
Minnesota 120 INDIANA 113 (2-OT)
SAN ANTONIO 105 Cleveland 91
PHOENIX 95 LA Lakers 83
SACRAMENTO 105 Chicago 71
SEATTLE 100 Golden State 91
Toronto 94 LA CLIPPERS 85—Reuters
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