WASHINGTON -- A Michael Jordan rule of thumb: It takes two good games to shake off a really bad one.
After matching his career-low of two points at Toronto on Sunday, Jordan has scored season highs on back-to-back nights. He followed his 30-point game at Atlanta on Tuesday with 33 in the Washington Wizards' 118-100 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
"When I score two points, everybody looks at it like I'm losing a step or I'm 50 years old or whatever," said Jordan, who is actually 39. "That attacks the competitive juices in me, so the reverse has to happen the next couple of games."
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| Washington Wizards' Michael Jordan (23) battles for the ball against Memphis Grizzlies' Shane Battier, right, during the second half of the Wizards' 118-100 win, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002, in Washington. (AP) |
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It also happened last season, when Jordan followed a six-point performance -- ending a streak of 866 double-digit games -- with 51 and 45 and announced: "I can still play this game."
"Most of the people came to watch me play the game of basketball because of the unknown," said Jordan, who made 14 of 23 shots against the Grizzlies. "On a given night, I could score 51. On another night, I may not get to that. You never know."
Jordan took over the game early, scoring 18 in the first quarter as the Wizards coasted to their third straight win. He had a rhythm to his jump shot all game, and it was all jumpers when he scored nine points in a 13-6 run that put the Wizards up 32-22 at the end of the first quarter.
"No, I ain't seen nothing like that," Grizzlies rookie Drew Gooden said. "I ain't seen nothing like that in I don't know how long, but he was on. It seemed like every time he shot it was going in."
The Wizards had a season-high in points and shot a season-best 62 percent while avenging one of their most embarrassing losses of the season. Their 85-74 defeat at Memphis on Nov. 23 was the Grizzlies' first win after an 0-13 start.
"Sure," said Jordan, smiling when asked if revenge had been on his mind. "We wanted to give extra focus to get that game back."
Pau Gasol scored 25 points to lead Memphis, Gooden scored 19, and Jason Williams had 10 points and 11 assists.
Jerry Stackhouse added 25 points and seven assists for the Wizards. Brendan Haywood had 11 points and 12 rebounds, while Kwame Brown had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
His teammates kept it going when Jordan sat down at the start of the second quarter, extending the lead to 23. Youngsters Haywood and Brown were a force inside on the same night, a rarity this season.
The lead was 67-46 at the half, with Jordan dribbling down the clock to make a 19-footer. The Wizards shot 64 percent for the half, making 17 of 20 shots over one stretch.
The Grizzlies never got closer than 13 in the second half.
Jordan downplayed the Wizards' three-game winning streak, noting that it came against teams with losing records. A tough two-game road trip to Texas awaits.
"If you look at the teams that we've played, we're supposed to take care of those teams," Jordan said. "We went out and did what we're supposed to. If we come out and play with the same attitude in San Antonio and Dallas, then I think we're on the way."
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