Jordan's Wizards win sixth in a row

Michael Jordan scored 21 points and helped hold Vince Carter scoreless in the second half as the Washington Wizards took their winning streak to six games with a 93-88 triumph over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

Jordan again got a lot of help from Richard Hamilton, who led the Wizards with 27 points.

Carter enjoyed the upper hand early in the first regular season meeting between "Air Jordan" and "Air Canada."

He scored 19 of his 23 points in the first quarter as the Raptors jumped out to an early 19-point lead.

"It took me a whole quarter just to figure out what his tendencies are and to take some of his rhythm away," Jordan said of the player many consider his heir apparent.

Carter went cold after halftime and picked up his fifth foul in the third quarter.

By the time Carter sat down in foul trouble the Wizards had moved in front as Jordan hit four straight baskets in the third quarter.

"I didn't make shots in the second half and we weren't communicating well on defense," Carter said. "They played hard, challenged every shot and hit the glass."

Alvin Williams scored 17 points and Morris Peterson added 16 for the Raptors, who lost their fourth in a row.

In New York, the New Jersey Nets showed the struggling Knicks who are tops in the New York metropolitan area with a dominating 114-96 victory.

The Nets set a franchise record by making 14 three-pointers and took over first place from Detroit in the Eastern Conference with a 15-7 record.

Kerry Kittles scored a season-high 27 points, draining five three-pointers, and Kenyon Martin added 21 for New Jersey.

Jason Kidd contributed 18 points with four three-pointers and dished out 14 assists for the Nets, who are off to their best start after 22 games since entering the NBA in 1976.

Allan Houston scored 23 points for the Knicks, who have lost four in a row to drop to 1-4 since Don Chaney took over as coach following the surprise resignation of Jeff Van Gundy.

CLIPPERS RESURGENT

In Los Angeles, Lamar Odom scored 25 points while Quentin Richardson drilled a three-pointer with 30 seconds left to lift the Clippers to an 82-77 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

The Clippers erased a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter by outscoring Detroit 26-11 in the final 12 minutes.

Darius Miles chipped in with 14 points for the Clippers, who got 13 rebounds each from Elton Brand and Michael Olowokandi.

Jerry Stackhouse led Detroit with 26 points but misfired on a 3-pointer and a jumper in the final minute.

In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 16 of his 28 points in the third quarter to lead the NBA champion Lakers to a 101-85 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

With the Lakers holding a narrow four-point lead in the third quarter Bryant took charge, scoring all but two of his team's points in a 14-3 burst that opened a 78-63 lead.

The red hot Bryant made 10-of-12 shots from the floor and 8-of-9 free throws and Shaquille O'Neal added 20 points as the Lakers improved to a league-best 18-3 record.

Rookie Jason Richardson scored 16 points and Erick Dampier added 15 for the Warriors.

MCGRADY INJURED

In Seattle, Gary Payton scored 26 points and Brent Barry added 22 to lead the SuperSonics to a 114-91 victory over the Orlando Magic.

Vin Baker chipped in with 19 points for Seattle, which took an 83-72 lead into the fourth quarter and broke open the game by scoring 13 of the next 16 points.

Mike Miller scored 23 points to lead Orlando, which suffered its fifth loss in six games.

The Magic also lost All-Star guard Tracy McGrady, who left in the first quarter with a strained back and did not return.

In Sacramento, Chris Webber scored 22 points and Gerald Wallace added a season-high 20 off the bench to lead the Kings to a 104-87 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Vlade Divac chipped in with 18 points and Doug Christie pulled down 12 rebounds for Sacramento.

Spanish rookie Pau Gasol led Memphis with 15 points and 12 rebounds, but former Kings point guard Jason Williams was held to just 11 points on 4-for-16 shooting in his return to Arco Arena, where he had been the Kings floor general for three seasons.