Wizards’ Owner Feels Jordan Will Play Again

The owner of the Washington Wizards said he has a “gut feeling” that Michael Jordan will return to the NBA next season.

In a front-page story in today’s Washington Post, Wizard majority owner Abe Pollin said he believes the odds are that Jordan, 38, will play for the team next season. Pollin stressed that he did not know if Jordan has made up his mind yet.

“The odds are that he’s going to come back,” Pollin said. “I think he’s going to decide whether he’s going to be able to play at the level that is satisfying to him.”

Jordan, a part-owner and president of basketball operations for Washington, has consistently said that he’s 99.9% sure he’ll never play again.

In order for Jordan to play again under NBA rules, he would have to divest his ownership interest in the Wizards.

Jordan retired from the Chicago Bulls in 1999.

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Portland Trail Blazer guard Bonzi Wells will miss the rest of the season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Wells, the team’s third-leading scorer, was first thought to have suffered only a sprained knee after being injured Friday against Golden State.

Philadelphia 108, Boston 95--Allen Iverson scored 37 points at Philadelphia as the 76ers clinched first place and home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Indiana 100, Washington 78--Jalen Rose had 23 points and 10 rebounds at Indianapolis as the Pacers increased their lead to 2 1/2 games over Boston for the final playoff spot in the East.

New York 113, Charlotte 98--Marcus Camby had 17 points and 18 rebounds at New York to help the Knicks move within a half-game of the Miami Heat for third place in the Eastern Conference.

Detroit 81, Atlanta 69--Jerry Stackhouse had the first triple-double of his career en route to becoming the Pistons’ single-season scoring leader with 28 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists at Auburn Hills, Mich. Stackhouse has 2,230 points, passing Dave Bing’s 30-year-old record of 2,213.

Utah 96, Houston 81--Karl Malone had 26 points at Salt Lake City as the Jazz pulled within a half-game of the Lakers for the third-best record in the Western Conference.