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Limping leader Banged-up knee may land Jordan on injured listPosted: Sunday February 24, 2002 10:10 PMUpdated: Monday February 25, 2002 2:33 AM
MIAMI (AP) -- Michael Jordan limped to the bench midway through the fourth quarter and might stay there awhile. Jordan sat out the final 6:27 of the Washington Wizards' 92-80 loss to Miami with a bruised right knee Sunday night and said he might go on the injured list, which would force him to miss at least five games. "This needs more than just two days' rest," he said. "I'm going to take the necessary time to get better. I may have to sit out a few games." The Wizards blew a fourth-quarter lead to Miami for the second night in a row and lost their fifth straight game to drop below .500 (27-28) for the first time since Jan. 22. Jordan, who missed Wednesday's loss at Detroit because of his injury, had fluid drained from the knee before the game. He played 30 minutes before sitting down for good with Miami leading 78-74. "The game was on the line, and I was sitting on the bench. That should tell you something was wrong," Jordan said. "It got to the point in the fourth quarter where I couldn't move."
Coming off a 37-point performance Saturday, Jordan shot 4-for-13 and finished with nine points, six assists and five rebounds. It was just his second single-digit scoring total of the season -- he had six points Dec. 27 against Indiana. "It pains me to see him playing on one leg. I feel badly about that," Wizards coach Doug Collins said. "He tried to gut it out and couldn't do it. I didn't even want him to play at all, but Michael, competitor that he is, was going to come down here and play." Jordan, who turned 39 on Feb. 17, has missed only two games this season but has had the knee drained at least three times. "I'm getting old," he said with a smile. "It's a sign that this might be coming to a closure as to where my career is heading. The body sends you messages, and tonight my body won." The Wizards' next game is against Portland on Wednesday. They play the Bulls, Jordan's former team, at Chicago on Friday. Rod Strickland had 16 points and 11 assists for the Heat, who shot 52 percent. Strickland totaled 34 points and 25 assists in the back-to-back wins over Washington. Brian Grant's basket with 1.4 seconds left Saturday helped Miami beat Washington 97-95. Following a horrible start this season, the Heat are 18-8 since Dec. 30 and within eight games of .500. "We have a long way to go, but this was a huge weekend," coach Pat Riley said. Alonzo Mourning, slowed by tightness in his back, had 11 points and 12 rebounds in 34 minutes. Washington reserve Tyronn Lue shot 10-for-15 and scored 21 points. Teammate Richard Hamilton, averaging 19.6 points, was shut out in the first half and finished with eight points, missing 11 of 15 shots. For the second night in a row and only the second time this season, the Wizards lost despite leading after three periods. They're 24-2 in such games. Jordan sank a 3-pointer -- his last basket -- during a 7-0 run by the Wizards that put them ahead 58-51. Their margin was 67-65 after three quarters, but Washington scored only six points in the final eight minutes. The Heat pulled even at 72 and 74 before taking their first lead since the opening period, 76-74, on a basket by Jim Jackson with eight minutes left. Miami pulled away from there. "Earlier in the year, we'd falter in the fourth quarter," guard Eddie Jones said. "Now everyone is stepping up. If we played like this early in the year, we'd be one of the top teams in the East."
Notes: The Heat have won seven of nine home games to improve to
11-15 at AmericanAirlines Arena. ... Riley said he has no problem
with back-to-back games against the same opponent. "Sometimes I
think it's actually pretty good, sort of like baseball, where you
play a weekend series and you can focus on a team," he said. ...
Jordan leads the NBA with 17 20-point halves, including one
Saturday. ... Washington forward Popeye Jones missed the game with
a sore right elbow. ... Heat guard Anthony Carter, playing in just
his second game this season following hernia surgery, drew boos
when he committed two turnovers and shot an airball in a brief
appearance in the second period. ... Eddie Jones hit a 3-pointer
for the 25th game in a row, a career best.
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