WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Michael Jordan scored 41 points and finished in strong fashion for the second straight game Saturday night as the Washington Wizards climbed back above .500 with a 112-102 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Elected as an All-Star starter in fan balloting released earlier in the day, Jordan showed he was a worthy choice, making 17 of 30 shots and handing out seven assists. It was his fifth 40-point game of the season and second in succession.
Jordan is averaging 35 points over his last four games. But the 38-year-old superstar was limited to nine points on three-of-23 shooting after halftime in the first two of those contests, raising questions about his durability over the remainder of the season.
Some of those questions were answered in Thursday night's win over Cleveland, when Jordan scored 16 of his 40 points after halftime and said opposing defenses were what had slowed him down.
In this one, he had 20 points before intermission and 21 after, helping the Wizards (21-20) move above .500 at the midway point of the season. Washington won just 19 games last season.
