Washington ? Michael Jordan and Bryon Russell combined to score 27 consecutive points while helping end the Washington Wizards’ six-game losing streak.

Jordan scored 25 points in his second game as a starter, and the man he replaced in the lineup, Russell, matched his season-high with 16 points in a 103-78 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

“We’ve been stinking it up,” Russell said. “But I think we’re going to have a good month. I told the team, ‘I feel like we’re only going to lose three or four games this month.’ “

Etan Thomas matched a career-high with 14 points and had seven rebounds for the Wizards as coach Doug Collins relied on veterans early but used his bench extensively. Jordan played 30 minutes in the one-sided game and sat down for good early in the four quarter.

“It’s just one of those games where we really needed a win,” Jordan said. “Milwaukee was not healthy, so we’ve got to attack, attack, attack. I tried to carry that mentality.”

Tim Thomas scored a season-high 17 points for the Bucks, who played without Ray Allen and Toni Kukoc. Milwaukee, one of the best shooting teams in the league, shot just 37 percent. Michael Redd was 6-for-16 from the field, Sam Cassell was 3-for-12, Anthony Mason was 2-for-7, and Jason Caffey was 1-for-8.

“I had a bad game,” Cassell said. “With us being short-handed, teams definitely are playing me differently. They’re not going to allow me to have open looks like I’m used to getting. A lot of my things I’ve got to create for myself.”

Last week, Russell asked to be removed from the starting lineup because his minutes were getting squeezed by Jordan’s early entry off the bench. With their roles reserved, both looked more comfortable – and they teamed up for the run that gave the Wizards the lead for good.

Jordan and Russell scored 27 consecutive Wizards points from the final minute of the first quarter through the first seven minutes of the second quarter, including all the points in a 16-5 run that put Washington ahead 42-29. Jordan scored 15 points in the second quarter, and Russell went 4-for-4 with nine points.

“It’s a change,” Russell said. “Tonight was a night we needed someone to step other than our starters. For us to win, we’ve got to have more than our starters scoring. I just came out being aggressive.”

By halftime, the score was 56-39. The Bucks never got closer than 12 in the second half.

“We allowed (Jordan) to do whatever he wanted to,” Cassell said. “If you don’t challenge a guy like that, he’ll eat you alive.”

The Bucks played their fifth game without Allen, who has a sprained right ankle, and their first without Kukoc, who had thumb surgery Monday and is expected to miss up to six weeks.

Allen is eligible to come off the injured list for Thursday’s game at Atlanta, but he has yet to resume practicing. Coach George Karl said he’ll get a gauge on Allen’s status at practice today.

“We got a break tonight, let’s face it,” Collins said. “Toni Kukoc is hurt. Ray Allen is out. And the heart and soul of that team is Sam Cassell, and he had an off night.”

Nets 87, Hawks 72

East Rutherford, N.J. – Richard Jefferson bounced back from a big blunder with 22 points and a career-high 14 rebounds to lead the banged-up Nets. The victory was only the second in five games for the Nets, with one of those losses largely to blame on Jefferson. He missed two free throws with New Jersey up by two points with 9.8 seconds left in Seattle on Sunday. Brent Barry then hit a game-winning three-pointer.

Hornets 115, Bulls 90

Chicago – David Wesley scored a season-high 25 points and Jamal Mashburn added 21 as New Orleans found a cure for its road woes. It was only the third road victory this season for the Hornets, who are 9-0 at home but just 3-6 away from New Orleans. It was more misery for the Bulls, who lost their seventh straight and 13th of the last 15. Jalen Rose led Chicago with 19.

Rockets 89, Spurs 75

Houston – Yao Ming scored 27 points, grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds and had a crowd-pleasing slam in the closing minutes. Yao rebounded a miss by Steve Francis with 3:04 to go and slammed it home, one of several highlight shots in the game. Francis added 18 points and six assists and Moochie Norris had 16 points. Tim Duncan had 25 points and 12 for the Spurs.

Kings 98, T’wolves 86

Sacramento, Calif. – Bobby Jackson scored 24 points and Chris Webber had 22 points and 11 rebounds, helping the Kings overcome Kevin Garnett’s second big game against them in seven days. Garnett had 18 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists – barely missing his ninth career triple-double. Jackson scored 11 points in the third quarter and Webber made five straight shots in the fourth as the Kings survived the stiffest challenge they’ve faced while opening the season with 10 straight victories at Arco Arena.

Lakers 101, Grizzlies 91

Los Angeles – Kobe Bryant had 24 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his fourth triple-double of the season. Shaquille O’Neal added 28 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks for the Lakers (7-12), who now have a 4-3 record since O’Neal returned to action – including an overtime victory against the Grizzlies in Memphis last Friday night. The Grizzlies (2-16) had won two of their previous four games after losing their first 13. They’re 2-8 since Hubie Brown replaced Sidney Lowe as coach. Bryant had his seventh career triple-double, and Rick Fox added 14 points.

Warriors 110, Nuggets 89

Oakland, Calif. – Antawn Jamison scored 34 points, helping the Warriors extend their longest winning streak in more than a year to three games. Playing before a season-low crowd of 10,007, Troy Murphy added 16 points – making all 12 of his free throws – helping Golden State put together its first three-game victory streak since last Nov. 9-12. Donnell Harvey scored 16 points as the Nuggets dropped their third in a row following a three-game winning streak. Juwan Howard added 14.