DENVER -- Michael Jordan couldn't get into a rhythm in his first game back from knee surgery. Still, his mere presence on the court was more than enough against the struggling Denver Nuggets.
Jordan had just seven points in his earlier-than-expected return, but Richard Hamilton scored 30 as the Washington Wizards routed Denver 107-75 Wednesday night.
"I felt pretty good and was moving well, but obviously my rhythm wasn't quite there," said Jordan, who wore a protective sleeve on his knee. "I felt good and the guys weren't looking for me, and they were still being aggressive, which is what I wanted to happen anyway."
Jordan, playing for the first time since having surgery on his right knee Feb. 27, made two of his first four shots before missing five straight. He was the fifth player off the Wizards bench, marking the first time since April 5, 1986, that he played but was not in the starting lineup.
Jordan finished 2-for-9 with two assists, two steals and a rebound in 16 minutes.
"His presence out there I think picks everyone's confidence up," said Washington's Courtney Alexander, who had 16 points. "We were all excited to have him back in the lineup. You still have to go out and perform, but just his leadership and his experience helps us out a great deal because we're such a young team."
Washington has won three of four after losing five consecutive games. The Wizards are 2½ games behind Indiana and Charlotte for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Denver shot 33 percent and had 20 turnovers in losing its sixth game in a row. The Nuggets were 0-for-3 from 3-point range and have gone three games (0-for-14) without hitting a 3 for the first time since November 1997.
It was the seventh-worst home loss in Nuggets' history and their worst ever to Washington.
"This is nowhere near what we have been getting in terms of effort. This was probably the worst game all year for us," Denver coach Mike Evans said.
Antonio McDyess, who had just one point in 25 minutes in a 98-91 loss to Detroit on Monday, led the Nuggets with 16 points and 10 rebounds. It was his first double-double since missing the first 54 games of the season because of knee surgery.
Jordan entered the game to a loud ovation with 2:55 left in the first quarter after warming up on a stationary bike in the locker room. He missed his first two shots, but hit a jumper from the left wing and followed with a three-point play after posting up Calbert Cheaney.
"He was rusty. He had shots he wouldn't have missed," Cheaney said. "Mike will always be Mike. He gives them a lift and brings out the best in his teammates. Mike doesn't go to the basket as much as he used to do. He didn't have to. He got shots when he wanted them."
Washington scored the first five points of the second quarter to take a 35-25 lead, then extended it to 44-29 after Alexander hit a 22-foot jumper with 7:26 left.
The Wizards led 54-39 at halftime and opened the third quarter with a 21-2 run. Alexander capped it with an alley-oop dunk from Hamilton that put the Wizards up 75-41 with 6:32 left.
Denver was 5-for-20 and had seven turnovers in the third period. It got so bad fans chanted "Airball! Airball" after Denver's Kenny Satterfield missed everything on a 3-point attempt.
"It had nothing to do with anything but our effort," Evans said. "It had nothing to do with Jordan. It had nothing to do with Hamilton. It was all about us. The will was there. The effort certainly wasn't."
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