WASHINGTON (REUTERS) — Michael Jordan looked like his old self in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, he just looked old.
Ray Allen scored nine of his 22 points in the final period as the Milwaukee Bucks rebounded from their first loss of the season with a 107-98 victory Wednesday over Jordan and the Washington Wizards.
Milwaukee dominated the second quarter en route to a 58-41 halftime lead. But the 38-year-old Jordan scored 16 points in the third as the Wizards pulled to within 84-78 entering the final period.
Washington scored the first six points of the fourth to tie it before Allen sparked a 7-0 run with a three-point play that gave the Bucks the lead for good, 87-84, with 9:07 to go.
Jordan made just 2-of-6 shots and committed three turnovers in the final 12 minutes, as the Wizards lost their fifth straight game and fell to 1-3 at the MCI Center.
Allen, who scored a season-low 16 points in Saturday’s loss to Minnesota, also dished out a season-high nine assists. Sam Cassell scored a season-high 27 points and Glenn Robinson added 13.
Milwaukee shot 49 percent (35-of-71) and drained 10-of-21 shots from behind the arc to remain undefeated in three road games this year. The Bucks have won nine of their last 12 meetings with Washington.
Jordan finished with 31 points — one shy of his season high — on 12-of-24 shooting. It marked the first time this season that the 10-time scoring champion had shot 50 percent.
Washington’s Christian Laettner nearly had a triple-double with 12 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Popeye Jones tied a season high with 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench.
SIXERS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT: This was what Larry Brown envisioned when he traded for Matt Harpring.
Harpring scored 17 of his season-high 21 points in the second half as he lifted the Philadelphia 76ers to their third straight victory, 100-86 over the visiting Charlotte Hornets.
The 76ers traded forwards Tyrone Hill and Jumaine Jones — both of whom started in the 2001 NBA Finals — to Cleveland to get Harpring and two other players who since have been traded. It was clear that Brown and general manager Billy King wanted the 6-7 swingman, and Harpring showed why in this one.
After a lackluster first half, Harpring was everywhere in the second half. He took charges, hit 3-pointers, ran down loose balls and played hard, a trademark of Brown’s 76ers.
Harpring made 8 of 12 shots and grabbed seven rebounds. He had 10 points in the third quarter, when Philadelphia turned a one-point deficit into a 75-66 lead.
MAVERICKS POST RARE WIN IN CLEVELAND: Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points to lead a balanced attack as the visiting Dallas Mavericks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 107-94, for their first win there in nearly seven years.
Michael Finley added 22 points for the Mavericks, who had not won there since March 20, 1995. Shawn Bradley had a season-high 15 points and had five blocks for the Mavericks, who began a three-game road trip.
The Cavaliers (2-7) have lost their first four home games for the first time since the 1985-86 season.
Nowitzki, who sat out much of the first and second quarters with a deep thigh bruise, scored five of his 10 third-quarter points in the final 35 seconds to give Dallas an 84-70 lead. Cleveland got no closer than Jumaine Jones’ windmill dunk at the final buzzer.
Dallas (6-2), which had a three-game winning streak snapped Saturday by Philadelphia, never trailed after tying the game at 39 midway through the second quarter.
Jones scored 20 points, and Lamond Murray and Michael Doleac added 17 apiece for Cleveland, which had taken five in a row from Dallas at Gund Arena.
ROOKIE GIVES CELTICS A LIFT: Rookie Joe Johnson is quickly endearing himself to Boston Celtics fans.
Johnson scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including nine during a game-ending 15-7 run that lifted the Celtics to their third straight victory, a 101-93 triumph over the visiting Indiana Pacers.
The 6-8 Johnson, who left Arkansas after his sophomore season and was the 10th pick in the NBA draft, entered the contest averaging 12.7 points, giving the Celtics a third option after stars Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce.
On Wednesday, however, the rookie was the unquestioned star of the decisive final period on Wednesday.
With the game tied 86-86 midway through the period, Johnson nailed a 3-pointer that put the Celtics ahead for good. Down the stretch he had a runner in the lane and pair of layups as Boston held on.
Pierce led the way with 31 points and Walker contributed 24 for the Celtics, who snapped a three-game home losing streak to the Pacers, defeating them at the FleetCenter for the first time since Nov. 22, 1999.
Indiana’s Jalen Rose scored 24 points but missed two jumpers in the final 90 seconds that could have pulled the Pacers to within four.
