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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Michael Jordan sure would have loved this one.
Juwan Howard scored a season-high 36 points and fueled a fourth-quarter comeback as the Washington Wizards ended a five-game
losing streak by defeating the Indiana Pacers 123-113 Friday night.
|  | | Mark Jackson's 13 points and 13 assists weren't enough to beat Michael Smith and the Wizards. |
Jordan, who became the Wizards' president of basketball
operations on Wednesday, was at home in Chicago and missed the
show.
It's hard to determine whether Jordan has had any influence yet,
but Washington certainly didn't look like the same lethargic team
that lost to Indiana by 15 points just nine days earlier.
"Our energy was more on defense than anything, which is how we
got a lot of easy baskets," Wizards coach Gar Heard said. "I've
been preaching that all year. Sometimes it takes somebody from the
outside to really push things a little higher.
"Every time Michael comes around, he has a tendency to make
guys pick up their game a little bit. Even when he played, he was
that type of competitor. I was glad to see that competitiveness
come out tonight."
Jordan also missed a chance to chat with former adversary Larry
Bird, now in his third season as the Pacers' coach.
"I think he'll bring something to this team," Bird said. "If
they play with intensity and they play hard like they did tonight,
they'll win a lot of games."
Howard, coming off a miserable 2-for-9 shooting performance
against Dallas two nights earlier, connected on 16 of 26 shots. He
scored 12 in the fourth quarter, which began with the Wizards
trailing 93-87.
Rod Strickland had 27 points and Michael Smith had a career-high
20 for the Wizards, who had lost nine straight and 16 of 20 to
Indiana.
Reggie Miller and Jalen Rose had 21 points apiece for the
Pacers. Indiana led by 11 in the third period but allowed the
Wizards to score 36 points on 72 percent shooting in the fourth
quarter.
"We didn't play any defense from start to finish," Bird said.
"It wasn't even there. Giving up 123 points is a little
embarrassing."
Washington trailed since early in the second quarter until
Howard scored in the lane and followed with a three-point play to
ignite a 9-0 run that put the Wizards up 96-93 with 9:23 remaining.
After Indiana regained the lead, 101-100, Howard made a
three-point play to start a 12-4 run that put the Wizards ahead for
good.
With each Washington basket, the crowd of 17,055 seemed to get
louder.
"I'm sure a lot of them came to see if they could get a glimpse
of Michael," Heard said, "but they ended up seeing a great
game."
Indiana led 61-59 early in the second half before Miller hit a
3-pointer to spark a 15-6 spree that made it 76-65. After
Washington closed to 88-85, Sam Perkins hit a 3-pointer and Mark
Jackson made a driving layup to help Indiana take a six-point lead
into the fourth quarter.
It didn't last.
"I think the Jordan factor played into it a little bit," Smith
said. "I'm glad it's over with because it was a big distraction.
But I think him coming here is going to rub off because he knows
how to win, and that's all we need."
The Pacers led 61-56 at halftime, sinking six 3-pointers to
offset 18 points by Howard.
Down 33-27 after the first quarter, Indiana got eight points
from Rose and five from Austin Croshere in an 18-4 run in which
Washington's Aaron Williams was called for two technical fouls and
ejected.
Game notes
The Pacers won the season series 2-1. They won the first
two games by a combined 37 points. ... Washington ended a
three-game home losing streak. ... Indiana fell to 20-4 when
scoring at least 100 points. ... It was the first of four games in
five nights for the Pacers.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Indiana Clubhouse
Washington Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 111
Seattle 86
Washington 123
Indiana 113
Miami 101
Atlanta 79
Phoenix 101
Denver 99
Golden State 115
Cleveland 103
Minnesota 95
LA Clippers 89
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