Jordan scores 29 points in 29 minutes, blowing out his former team in the Wizards' easiest outing of the season.

Michael Jordan directs his teammates against the enemy Bulls.


by Fred Schiebel, Head Writer
 
WASHINGTON -- The taste must be sweet.

Michael Jordan exacted a fair amount of revenge against Jerry Krause's Chicago Bulls Friday night -- you know, the team that the general manager was so anxious to field he did everything he could to chase that legendary championship squad out of town -- demolishing them in a 97-68 romp in his new home at the MCI Center Friday night.

The victory achieved a personal goal for Jordan, who spoke of how he'd like to get the long-struggling Wizards above the level of the Bulls, the league's worst team since Jordan departed in 1998.

The mission seems already achieved. The Wizards (14-17) are in the playoff race and appear to be improving. Meanwhile the Bulls (7-24) are again at the bottom of the standings and are 0-17 on the road, the only NBA team yet to win away from home.

"This is special in a sense that we're trying to claw our way out of the basement of losing teams," Jordan said, who scored 29 points. "If we have to step on other people to move up, then that's what we do.

"That's the importance of it more than anything. I like to think that we're moving in the right direction and Chicago may not be moving in the right direction, and I don't want to be compared with them. I want to show some separation."

Things didn't start according to plan however. A mere four minutes into the first quarter, Jordan was charged with his second personal foul. He had already hit two jumpers, but remained in the game for an extra minute, sinking a three pointer and having a drive to the basket goaltended. After he took a seat, Washington hardly noticed his absence, finishing the period up 27-14 and holding the Bulls to a sad 19 percent field goal percentage.

"I liked how we came out of the gate tonight," Wizards coach Doug Collins. "Our defensive energy fueled our offense."

Jordan checked in earlier than usual to start the second period, scoring ten points to finish with 19 for the half (9-16FGs), leading the Wizards to a 49-33 advantage by the break. The Bulls almost doubled their shooting mark from the floor in the quarter, posting a still putrid 35 percent mark.

"We could've built a house tonight from all the bricks we threw up tonight," said Bulls coach Bill Cartwright, who recently took over for coach Tim Floyd who resigned December 24th. "You have to at least make a few to be competitive."

Washington broke the game completely wide open in the third, led by Jordan, who pumped in another ten points with ease -- despite being guarded by Ron Artest (who broke Jordan's ribs during workouts in the summer), widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the league. Staying in the game a little longer than he would normally, Jordan's final shot of the evening, a fadeaway swish from the free throw line over Marcus Fizer with the shot clock buzzer sounding -- upped Washington's advantage to 81-52 going into the fourth quarter. There was no need for him to even consider a return.

Artest finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Bulls center Brad Miller had 15 points and 9 rebounds, and Trenton Hassell scored 11 points off Chicago's bench.

"It was good to get an easy win," Collins said. "Hopefully a few more come our way this year."

He might have to blow up a locker room or two to find a team that plays as badly as the Windy City's heirs to the throne.