NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
WASHINGTON 28 21 25 24 98
ATLANTA 23 30 19 16 88 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: WAS - MICHAEL JORDAN 31, RICHARD HAMILTON 22, CHRIS
WHITNEY 16
ATL - JASON TERRY 23, SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM 17, TWO PLAYERS
WITH 12
HIGH REBOUND: WAS - POPEYE JONES 13, RICHARD HAMILTON 7
ATL - SHAREEF ABDUR-RAHIM 12, NAZR MOHAMMED 9
HIGH ASSISTS: WAS - MICHAEL JORDAN 6, CHRISTIAN LAETTNER 5
ATL - JACQUE VAUGHN 3, JASON TERRY 2
Extended Box
WASHINGTON (98) AT ATLANTA (88)
WASHINGTON
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
JORDAN F 40 13-30 5-6 0 6 6 6 2 2 1 31
LAETTNER F 29 2-5 0-0 3 1 4 5 2 0 3 4
J WHITE C 15 2-4 0-1 1 3 4 0 2 0 2 4
R HAMILTON G 37 7-16 8-9 3 4 7 1 1 2 3 22
C WHITNEY G 38 6-12 1-3 0 3 3 4 2 1 1 16
NESBY 10 2-5 0-0 0 2 2 2 3 0 0 5
P JONES 31 4-5 1-1 5 8 13 2 3 1 2 9
ALEXANDER 12 1-6 1-2 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 3
LUE 8 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
THOMAS 19 2-3 0-2 2 1 3 0 5 0 1 4
SIMMONS 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BROWN DNP - SPRAINED RIGHT ANKLE
TOTALS 240 39-88 16-24 16 29 45 20 21 6 14 98
(.443) (.667) TEAM REBS: 14 TOTAL TO: 15(19 PTS)
ATLANTA
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
ABDUR-RAHIM F 39 6-18 5-6 2 10 12 0 1 1 3 17
GLOVER F 21 4-9 0-0 0 2 2 0 2 0 2 8
RATLIFF C 28 5-8 2-6 3 2 5 1 4 0 1 12
DAVIS G 18 1-7 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 2 2
TERRY G 39 10-17 2-2 0 8 8 2 4 2 0 23
KUKOC 27 3-6 0-2 0 2 2 1 2 2 0 8
MOHAMMED 20 4-8 4-4 5 4 9 0 1 0 0 12
VAUGHN 15 0-5 0-0 0 1 1 3 1 1 1 0
CRAWFORD 24 0-4 0-0 4 2 6 1 4 1 2 0
MOTTOLA 9 3-4 0-0 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 6
C BOWDLER DNP - COACH'S DECISION
HENDERSON DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 36-86 13-20 15 33 48 8 22 7 12 88
(.419) (.650) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 14(11 PTS)
WASHINGTON 28 21 25 24 - 98
ATLANTA 23 30 19 16 - 88
BLOCKED SHOTS: WASHINGTON - LAETTNER, P JONES. ATLANTA - ABDUR-RAHIM 2,
RATLIFF.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: WASHINGTON 4-10 (.400), JORDAN 0-3, C WHITNEY 3-5,
NESBY 1-2. ATLANTA 3-12 (.250), ABDUR-RAHIM 0-2, GLOVER 0-1, DAVIS 0-3,
TERRY 1-3, KUKOC 2-3.
TECHNICALS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: JACK NIES, BENNIE ADAMS, TOM WASHINGTON.
A - 0. T - 2:22.
Box Score
WASHINGTON (98)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Jordan 40 13-30 5-6 0-6 6 2 31
Laettner 29 2-5 0-0 3-4 5 2 4
J White 15 2-4 0-1 1-4 0 2 4
R Hamilton 37 7-16 8-9 3-7 1 1 22
C Whitney 38 6-12 1-3 0-3 4 2 16
Nesby 10 2-5 0-0 0-2 2 3 5
P Jones 31 4-5 1-1 5-13 2 3 9
Alexander 12 1-6 1-2 2-2 0 1 3
Lue 8 0-2 0-0 0-1 0 0 0
Thomas 19 2-3 0-2 2-3 0 5 4
Simmons 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Brown DNP - sprained right ankle
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 39-88 16-24 16-45 20 21 98
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.443, FT-.667. 3-Point Goals:
4-10, .400 (Jordan 0-3, C Whitney 3-5, Nesby
1-2). Team rebounds: 14. Blocked shots: 2
(Laettner, P Jones). Turnovers: 15 (Laettner 3, R
Hamilton 3, J White 2, P Jones 2, Alexander, C
Whitney, Jordan, Thomas). Steals: 6 (Jordan 2, R
Hamilton 2, C Whitney, P Jones).
ATLANTA (88)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Abdur-rahim 39 6-18 5-6 2-12 0 1 17
Glover 21 4-9 0-0 0-2 0 2 8
Ratliff 28 5-8 2-6 3-5 1 4 12
Davis 18 1-7 0-0 0-1 0 2 2
Terry 39 10-17 2-2 0-8 2 4 23
Kukoc 27 3-6 0-2 0-2 1 2 8
Mohammed 20 4-8 4-4 5-9 0 1 12
Vaughn 15 0-5 0-0 0-1 3 1 0
Crawford 24 0-4 0-0 4-6 1 4 0
Mottola 9 3-4 0-0 1-2 0 1 6
C Bowdler DNP - coach's decision
Henderson DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 36-86 13-20 15-48 8 22 88
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.419, FT-.650. 3-Point Goals:
3-12, .250 (Abdur-rahim 0-2, Glover 0-1, Davis
0-3, Terry 1-3, Kukoc 2-3). Team rebounds: 7.
Blocked shots: 3 (Abdur-rahim 2, Ratliff).
Turnovers: 14 (Abdur-rahim 3, Crawford 2, Davis
2, Glover 2, Mottola, Ratliff, Vaughn). Steals: 7
(Kukoc 2, Terry 2, Abdur-rahim, Crawford, Vaughn).
____________________________________________
Washington 28 21 25 24 - 98
Atlanta 23 30 19 16 - 88
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: None. Flagrant fouls: Atlanta 1
(Terry, 0:22 4th). A: 0. T: 2:22. Officials:
Jack Nies, Bennie Adams, Tom Washington.
Game Story
ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Michael Jordan still did not come up with
any fourth-quarter heroics, but the Washington Wizards came up
with a victory.
Jordan scored 31 points as the Wizards earned their first
victory of the season with a 98-88 triumph over the Atlanta
Hawks.
In his first game in over three years on Tuesday, Jordan missed
a pair of late jumpers as Washington fell at New York, 93-91. In
his first game at Philips Arena, Jordan started off strong with
11 points in the first quarter and had 19 at halftime, his total
against the Knicks.
"I know I can play the game of basketball like I'm capable of
playing," Jordan said. "I know guys will rip me. I know that
when teams double-team, I know I'm back."
A jumper by Jordan with just over seven minutes remaining gave
the Wizards an 82-77 lead. Atlanta responded with six straight
points, capped by a basket by Shareef Abdur-Rahim, for its final
lead at 83-82 with 5:14 to go.
A jumper by Popeye Jones gave the Washington the lead for good
and Richard Hamilton added a jumper off a feed from Jordan for a
three-point cushion.
"He's obviously got a great feel of the game," Hawks coach Lon
Kruger said of Jordan. "He sees the floor so well. He does a
great job of dictating and attacking. He seemed as the game
went on that he picked and chose his spots."
Jordan, whom earlier tossed up a pair of airballs, made two free
throws for an 88-83 lead with just over four minutes left. The
teams exchanged baskets before a free throw by Theo Ratliff cut
the deficit to 90-86 with 2:37 to go.
Atlanta came up empty on its next two possessions. Ratliff
missed two free throws and Toni Kukoc was short on a 3-point
attempt.
In the ensuing timeout, Wizards coach Doug Collins told his team
to focus on getting back on a miss rather than diagram a play.
"At the end there I wanted the ball to go through Michael,"
Collins said. "I tried to move Michael around so they couldn't
lock in on him. Our motto has been stay connected and we did and
we're going to continue to grow."
Jordan made the point moot by coming up with a key assist. He
drew a double-team on the wing and kicked it to a wide-open
Chris Whitney, who drilled a 3-pointer to seal the win.
"In the closing minutes its important for me to get in a scoring
position where I can find guys like Chris Whitney," Jordan said.
"Right now, Chris Whitney is my John Paxson and Steve Kerr."
Jordan played 40 minutes and made 13-of-30 shots. He also
finished with six assists and six rebounds.
"I didn't know I played 40 minutes, but I feel like I played 40
minutes," Jordan said. "It's going to help me get my rhythm. I
felt good my legs felt good. It was important for us to set a
good tone."
"When he's got it going and we got a chance to win, I'm not
going to monitor his minutes, that would be silly," Collins
said.
Hamilton finished with 22 points and Whitney chipped in 16 for
Washington, which shot 44 percent (39-of-88) from the field.
Popeye Jones added nine points and 13 rebounds.
Jason Terry led Atlanta with 23 points while Shareef Abdur-Rahim
collected 17 points and 12 rebounds but made just 6-of-18 shots.
"We have a lot of work to do, obviously," Kruger said.
"Everybody is searching right now and we're frustrated."
The Hawks had Emanual Davis guard Jordan at the outset. Dion
Glover, Chris Crawford and even Abdur-Rahim also took turns with
mixed results.
"It's us against the world, and that's the mentality I've taken
with this team," Jordan said. "It's about holding each other
accountable. I can trust them as long as they feel my passion.
We've got something working right now. It's going to continue
only if they show that passion."
