Jordan thrills again in vintage performance

WASHINGTON -- Michael Jordan wasn't about to sit down. He played the entire fourth quarter. All of the first overtime. All of the second overtime. He scored the points that put his team ahead for good.

By the time he was done, the 39-year-old Jordan had played 53 of a possible 58 minutes and added one more mini-classic to his highlight vaults. His season-high 41 points in Saturday night's 107-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers gave the Washington Wizards a badly needed win over a team that has dominated them for five years.

There were times this season when it seemed Jordan didn't have that commandeering game left in him, the one where he scores and scores again and wills his team to victory no matter what. He has frequently -- and willingly -- played second banana to Jerry Stackhouse on many nights.

But not Saturday night.

"I'm here when they need me," Jordan said. "There are situations when Jerry is going to carry us, and maybe even when some of the others guys are. But tonight it was my turn."

After the accolades were dished out, there was one obvious question for Jordan: How did the body hold up? After all, the original game plan this season called for him to play not much more than 30 minutes per game, a precautionary strategy stemming from the worn-down knees that cost him 22 games last season.

"I've been feeling great physically," Jordan said. "But this was a test of what I've been feeling. I just feel better this year than I ever did last year."

The game was a midseason thriller, tense and tight throughout. The Wizards had lost 18 of 20 against the Pacers and had struggled all season against teams with winning records. They broke through with an energetic win over San Antonio on New Year's Eve, and this was another major chance to show they belong on a higher rung.

With all that on the line, Jordan was not coming out of the game.

"I look down and see 53 minutes, that worries me," said coach Doug Collins, who was hired by Jordan. "But had I taken him out, I probably would have been fired."

Jordan scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and overtimes and added a season-high 12 rebounds in his first 40-point game in 12 months. He made 14 of 26 shots from the field and 10 of 12 from the line.

And more games like it could be on the way as he completes what he has said will be his final season.

"I've been waiting for the moment," Jordan said. "I've been getting close. With the highest of things at stake, my game came to me. I was able to make a big impact."