Washington ? Michael Jordan’s season-high 45 points alone weren’t enough. He needed help, and he finally got it in the fourth quarter.

With starters Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes injured, Jordan carried the Washington Wizards on his shoulders from the opening whistle and rested just four minutes in Saturday night’s 109-104 victory over the New Orleans Hornets.

“With two key starters out, I had to step my game up early — just to get some momentum,” Jordan said. “My offense ignited everything energy-wise, and the guys fed off me. I was going to try to pull anybody along with me as much as I could.

“In the second half, things changed. The first half was me; the second half was everybody.”

Jordan, who turns 40 this month, was 18-for-33 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. His 44 minutes were his most in regulation this season and second only to the 53 he played in a double-overtime game against Indiana. The only time he sat — a four-minute stretch in the second quarter — the Hornets went on a 14-4 to take their first lead.

“Everybody talks about his age and everything,” said Jamal Mashburn, who led the Hornets with a season-high 39 points. “The guy still can play. You don’t get 30,000-plus points without knowing how to play. He didn’t do it all on athletic ability, even though that’s all they show on SportsCenter sometimes.”

Despite Jordan’s hot game, the Wizards trailed 82-76 after three quarters. Coach Doug Collins’ instructions in the huddle: “I don’t want you to get that ‘floating Michael eye.’ We’ve got to go to other guys on the floor. He’s helped us to this point, and we have to have other guys help finish.”

Then the supporting cast — mostly young players who have been frustratingly inconsistent — chipped in as Washington opened the fourth with a 19-4 run that was perhaps the team’s best stretch of basketball all season.

Rookie Juan Dixon hit a big three-pointer and converted a steal into a layup. Kwame Brown had four rebounds in the quarter and a huge block on a drive by David Wesley. Tyronn Lue scored six points, and Etan Thomas bruised the opposition with his inside play.

“Once MJ was on fire, we couldn’t let him work that hard,” Brown said. “You’ve got to do something — he scored all the points.”

Spurs 67, Heat 65

Washington's Michael Jordan (23) drives to the basket against New Orleans' Jamaal Magloire. Jordan scored 45 points as the Wizards defeated the Hornets, 109-104, Saturday night in Washington.

Miami — Tony Parker made one of two free throws with 18 seconds left as San Antonio defeated Miami in a game which saw the teams combine for the ninth-fewest points since the 24-second shot clock was introduced in 1954.

Travis Best missed a three-point attempt for Miami and Caron Butler missed a jumper inside the free-throw line in the final 18 seconds.

Tim Duncan scored 17 points and grabbed a career-best 25 rebounds for San Antonio. Parker scored a game-high 18 points.

Bucks 107, Knicks 100

Milwaukee — Sam Cassell scored 24 points and Anthony Mason matched a season-high with 13 rebounds in Milwaukee’s victory over New York. Milwaukee (24-22) has won 10 of 12 to go two games over .500 for the first time this season, a streak that coincides with the return of Toni Kukoc, who missed 18 games after hand surgery.

The Bucks are 18-10 with Kukoc and 6-12 without him.

New York’s Allan Houston scored 15 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter. Latrell Sprewell missed 11 of 14 shots and finished with only nine points in his hometown.

SuperSonics 90, Bulls 77

Seattle — Rashard Lewis scored 23 points and Desmond Mason added 20 in a rare starting appearance, leading Seattle past Chicago. Gary Payton had 20 points and eight assists for Seattle, which has won three of its last four.

The Sonics have promoted Mason for the league’s Sixth Man award this season. But he looked quite comfortable in his ninth start, shooting 7-of-12 and collecting eight rebounds.

Rookie Reggie Evans grabbed 12 rebounds and the Sonics had a 51-40 advantage on the boards. Jalen Rose scored 23 points while Donyell Marshall added 14.

Mavericks 122, Nuggets 100

Dallas — Nick Van Exel had a season-high 30 points, including five three-pointers in the third-quarter, and Michael Finley added 22 points as Dallas shook off a sluggish start to rout Denver. Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 points and Shawn Bradley had 12 points and nine rebounds to help Dallas improve to 21-3 at home and a league-best 37-9 overall.

Dallas outscored the Nuggets 40-16 in the third quarter, its second-highest scoring quarter of the season behind a 42-point effort against the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 10.

Suns 116, Warriors 107

Phoenix — Stephon Marbury scored 32 points and Shawn Marion had 29 points and 15 rebounds as Phoenix reached a season-high point total in beating Golden State.

The two All-Stars took charge in the fourth quarter, combining to score 14 of the Suns’ final 16 points, including eight straight points by Marion. Marion finished 14-of-21 from the field and Marbury was 16-of-17 from the foul line.

Amare Stoudemire added 15 points and Casey Jacobsen had 12 for the Suns.

Pacers 109, Celtics 100

Indianapolis — Jermaine O’Neal, Brad Miller and Reggie Miller all had double-doubles as Indiana beat Boston while playing without suspended coach Isiah Thomas. O’Neal had 33 points and 11 rebounds, Brad Miller added 21 points and 12 rebounds and Reggie Miller had 14 and 10. Jamaal Tinsley had 10 assists.

Thomas also missed an opportunity to scout some of the All-Stars he’ll be coaching in next weekend’s game. Boston’s Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker and Brad Miller are reserves in the game while O’Neal was voted a starter.

Pierce scored 29 points and had 10 rebounds, Walker had 22 points and J.R. Bremer added 20.

Pistons 106, Nets 84

Auburn Hills, Mich. — Chauncey Billups scored 27 points, including 20 in the first quarter, as Detroit built an early lead. Kenyon Martin tied his season-high with 29 points for the Nets, who had won four straight.

New Jersey was without its two leading scorers — Jason Kidd (strained groin) and Richard Jefferson (stomach virus) — for a second straight game. The Nets hope both will play Monday at home against Seattle.

Pistons center Ben Wallace left the game at halftime because, “he is attending to a serious family illness,” said team spokesman Matt Dobek, who declined to provide more information.

Lakers 99, Jazz 87

Los Angeles — Kobe Bryant scored 42 points, and Shaquille O’Neal had 21 points and 13 rebounds as Los Angeles beat Utah for its third straight victory. Karl Malone scored 26 points for the Jazz, who made only three of their first 20 shots and went 11-for-38 in the first half after entering with a league-leading .470 field goal percentage.

John Stockton had 14 points and six assists for Utah.