Jayda Evans of the Seattle Times reports that Joe Forte is still a little sour about his suspension levied by the Sonics.

Forte, who has filed a claim with the NBA players association, said Jerome James approached him after he had gotten out of the shower where he had been singing after a loss to the Wizards. Forte became fearful.

"I'm common-people size and he ran up on me," said Forte, who said the scene was similar to when James had to be held back by Gary Payton from trying to attack Sonics Coach Nate McMillan earlier this season. "Had he hit me he could have killed me. I'm the victim in this situation and I'm going to continue to speak out about this. ... When there's a fight, both parties are suspended."

The Denver Post reports: Denver Nuggets forward Juwan Howard might miss tonight's game at home against the Washington Wizards.

He will be a game-time decision after missing last night's game in Houston with the flu.

Howard is averaging 18.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game this season.

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports: Last night might have marked Michael Jordan's final game in Los Angeles but when it was all said and done, it was Kobe's night.

While Jordan had 23 points in the game, Bryant scored 41 points in the first half, breaking Elgin Baylor's franchise record of 37 points in one half, including 23 straight Lakers points in a span of 5 minutes and 42 seconds.

For the game, Bryant finished with 55 points, one shy of his career-high of 56 points, in the Lakers 108-94 victory over the Washington Wizards.

"Kobe," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, "is a person who does step out and like that light."

However, Kobe did most of his scoring on Stackhouse, not Jordan.

Shaquille O"Neal had his own way of comparing Kobe and Jordan.

"There?ll never be another Mike." but "Kobe focuses on being the first Kobe."

Kobe's teammates were real impressed with his near career-night.

 "Kobe?s not really the type to back down," said O?Neal, who added that it was "a performance I?ve never seen before, not even on PlayStation."

"I don?t know if he (Bryant) ever doesn?t want to put on a show like he did tonight," teammate Derek Fisher said.

Jordan was also impressed.

"He definitely has his share of the torch," Jordan said.

Finally, he was asked an interesting question: If Bryant could become better than him, Jordan said: "I don?t know. ... That is something that could be told over time."

Peter Vescey of the New York Post is reporting that Kentucky coach Tubby Smith is hinting at wanting to take a job in the NBA next season.

"I think Tubby wants to test himself at the next level," a friend in the professional ranks says. "I'm not so sure he feels the fans fully appreciate what he's accomplished [capturing an NCAA title right out of the box and having a 26-game winning streak after last night's 63-57 victory over Wisconsin] in Kentucky since replacing Pitino in '98."

There is some concern because of unsuccesful attempts of college coaches to excel in the NBA such as Rick Pitino, Jerry Tarkanian, Tim Floyd, and Lon Kruger among others.

"Those coaches were flawed, but it was as much the players' lack of trust and confidence in them that was to blame," an Eastern Conference team president underlines. "The first bump in the road and the players said, ?What does he know? He's from college.' It's too convenient an excuse."

Vescey names franchises like Washington, the new Charlotte franchise, and Philadelphia as teams that might be interested.

Steve Wyche of the Washington Post reports:Washington Wizards guard/forward Michael Jordan went off on his teammates after getting blown out 109-83 in Phoenix on Friday night.

"I'm not going to try to save this team," said Jordan after scoring a team-high 14 points. "It's not my job. My job is not to try to carry this team like I did in '84 for the Bulls. We've got young, talented players on this team. If they're going to sit back and expect that I'm going to score 50 points they got a nice little awakening coming up. I told them at halftime, I'm not going to try to carry the team.

"I'm going to move the ball, draw the attention and get you guys the ball. You shoot it. You score it. I'll go rebound and try to play defense but don't expect me to try to put an 'S' on my chest and go out and play for these guys. We've got 14 games left. I'm going to try to enjoy myself. If you guys want to play hard basketball, we'll play hard basketball. If you guys want to take it off, I could be playing golf somewhere."

When he was asked if he would give the Wizards another tongue-lashing like he did after their loss to New York earlier this month, Jordan didn't really add much more.

"I'm not wasting my breath. I'll hold on to my breath. I can do other things with it. I can have a nice cigar."

Jordan wasn't done there. He kept going on.

"The best way for me to go out is to see that someone has to have the passion for the game like I do," Jordan said. "It doesn't have to be winning. I don't want it to be losing but you can lose with passion, you can lose with competition, competitiveness. You can't lose like this. This is disappointing to go out this way. It's one game but if this is any indication of how the next 14 are going to be, good Lord, I need to go home quick."

The Wizards are currently one behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot with only 14 games to play.

Still, Jordan thinks some of his teammates are ready to pack it in.

"Why should they [quit]?," Jordan asked. "It's not like they've done anything. I don't think anybody in here [besides me] has won a championship other than [Tyronn] Lue and he was a reserve."

Jordan went on to rant about everyone wanting to be treated the same. It seemed that Kwame Brown was the target of Jordan's final two quotes.

"Everybody wants to be treated the same," Jordan said, almost in scolding terms. "Unfortunately, everybody's not the same. You don't have 12 Michael Jordans in this locker room just like we don't have 12 Kwame Browns. Everybody's different. Everybody's going to be treated differently. If you [get upset] that some guys can make a mistake and another guy can make the same mistake and not get yelled at, that's tough. That's how it comes in this game. You have to live with it, you have to go out there and play with it.

"We've got too many guys worrying about the Joneses next door and they're not doing their jobs. Do your job, don't worry about who's doing their job next door, stay connected and play the game."

Maybe this will light a fire under the Wizards when they play the Golden State Warriors tonight.

No one expected the New York Knicks to be in the playoffs this year, especially after power forward Antonio McDyess went down with yet another knee injury before the season started.  But against the odds the Knicks still are alive with 18 games still remaining but for some reason they are not getting the same recognition as the Wizards, Bucks and Magic.

New York are only four games off the pace from seventh placed Orlando, and while the Knicks do not have a favorable schedule down the closing stretch the Knicks can take satisfaction in knowing that none of the other three teams are in the exact same boat.  The Knicks are scheduled to play 11 of their final 18 on the road with nine of those games against teams currently holding down playoff positions.

Making the playoffs will be a mean feat for the high-priced Knicks, but should they make it they will not be satisfied with just that if you listen to guard Latrell Sprewell.  Sprewell believes that once in his Knicks have a chance to get to the Conference Finals or perhaps even take out the East.

"I don't see a lot of those teams being that much better," Sprewell said. "I look at Boston, teams like that. We can definitely beat them. Any team in the East I feel we can beat."

But one step at a time...

"It's right there in front of us," Sprewell added. "We haven't put together the stretch of games we need. Three games is not a lot, especially with the way they're playing. I think we can get in. It's definitely possible ? 18 games left to make up three."

Knicks coach Don Cheaney believes the Knicks are in a good position, history showing that many teams slip during the latter parts of the season which could give his team a chance.  We saw Milwaukee miss the playoffs last season under these circumstances.

"It just reconfirms, if you stay in there ? and I've seen it many, many times ? that in that final run, teams start slipping," Coach Don Chaney said. "I don't know if it's the pressure or what, but teams start slipping. So what we have to do is stay focused and not allow games like the Memphis game to get away from us.

"Maybe it's foolish dreams, or whatever you want to call it, but I have a lot of faith in these guys. I really do. I think we're capable of doing it."

It is one thing to be reliant on another team's doings, but in order to take advtantage the Knicks need to help themselves by closing out games - something they failed to do earlier in the week against Memphis.

"I think every game we play, we can't look at it as make or break," he said. "We just have to win."

If Kwame Brown is the future of the Wizards' franchise then they may just be in trouble.

Brown has constantly been the target of much frustration from coach Doug Collins and Michael Jordan over the past two seasons, and now Steve Wyche of the Washington Post says Brown believes Collins has lost confidence in him and that he is being blamed for the Washington Wizards' struggles to make the playoffs.

"I know I could help us get to the playoffs," said Brown. "I just think that I'm getting limited opportunities to do a lot of things that I'm able to do. I guess the coach has lost confidence in me. Nobody can do anything in eight or nine minutes a night. If I don't come in and do something immediately, I'm coming out. I feel like I'm to blame for everything."

While Collins did not comment on Brown's comments directly, it was printed several weeks ago that he would only play the players he had confidence in down the stretch, often mentioning veterans Charles Oakley and Byron Russell as players who maximise their opportunities.

Brown admitted that while he respects his coach, him and Collins do not have a good relationship.  Collins is in the tough position of juggling an attempt to get Michael Jordan into the playoffs before he leaves the NBA hardcourt forever and developing young talent such as Brown, Brendan Haywood and Juan Dixon.

"Everybody knows he's in a tough position," Brown said. "I couldn't be Doug Collins. That's why I don't fault him. It's not fair for me to argue or contest what he does when I know he's in a tough spot."

Wyche writes that the relationship between the duo has always been rocky.  After starting the first 16 games for the Wizards and starring early on, Brown was relegated to the bench for Christian Laettner.  Brown admits that he never approached the coaching staff about what he needed to do to get his job back, stating that he just thought that Collins had lost faith in him.  The coaching staff, however, felt that indicated a lack of ambition.

"I felt like nothing I did was going to get my job back," Brown said. "There would be games where Christian -- and I'm not knocking him because I love him to death and he's always supported me -- would make some of the same mistakes I made but he was allowed to stay in. I make those mistakes and I'm out."

"I just knew that if I came to them to get my job back, they would say prove it in practice. So I practiced hard and there would be days in practice where I would do well and not see the court that much in games. I felt they just wanted to go with the older guys."

Brown believes he is being "micromanaged", the term used by Collins last season to describe his over management of his prized rookie.  When Collins eased off earlier this season - Collins himself stating that it was best if Brown could grow at his own pace - Kwame was playing the best ball of his career.  When the persistence to be strict started again his numbers went back down.

"If this is not micromanaging, I need to look up the [word] again," Brown said. "M.J. told me he was tough on players like Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. I don't understand the logic if it's not working. He admitted he micromanaged me, so why still do it?"

During Michael Jordan's prime years during the 90's it was widely speculated that you could take Jordan and any other four players and you'd have a winner.  Jordan's time with the Wizards thus far has all but blown that theory out of the water, the Wizards' struggling in Jordan's Washington tour of duty and once again risk missing the playoffs.

The Wizards even with Jordan were never going to win it all, but they were not meant to be this bad either.  Mike Lopresti of the Indianapolis Star describes Jordan in Washington as a player desperately trying to lead a team that will not be led.  Jordan, with 19 games left in his NBA body, is pushing himself too hard to extend this number ever so slightly, to make the post season just one more time, despite being 40 years of age.  But unlike in the past his teammates are not responding to his leadership, instead they melt away and send the player regarded as the Greatest Ever to grace an NBA court to his permanent retirement with nothing less than memories of two lottery picks for his two Washington seasons.

...unless Jordan decides to come back and try again.

Someone in New York was brave enough to ask Jordan if all the losing and disapppointment was enough to drive him back for possible success again next year, to which Jordan's response was swift.  "Are you nuts?"

The Wizards are on their last legs, losers of four of their last five games and a brutal schedule still to come later in the month.  To end March the Wizards are set to play nine of eleven on the road, six of which will be against dangerous Western Conference teams which could all but end the Washington's hopes.  They currently sit two games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the eighth and final playoff spot, the Bucks leading the series between the two 2-1.

"I'm doing everything I can to try to verbalize as well as physically show what it takes to win," he said. "It's up to them to receive that."

Meanwhile, Jerry Stackhouse was moaning about not getting the ball enough. "What we're doing right now," he said, "ain't for me."

After a devistating one point loss to the Knicks in Jordan's New York farewell, MJ had some strong words to challenge his youthful teammates.  "It's very disappointing when a 40-year-old man has more desire than 25-, 26-, 23-year-old people."

It looks as if Jordan's comments didn't go unnoticed by the Wizards, some issuing challenges of their own.

"We played 60 games before now. What about in November, in December or in January? There were a lot of games that we let slip by then," Wizards forward Jerry Stackhouse said. "We had opportunities to win and nobody was pointing fingers or doing anything. We've hit a little tough stretch; we lost a few games. I've been in these situations before and I don't think it's a time to panic. At the same time we have to get on the same page in order to obtain or achieve the goal we want."

Added guard Larry Hughes: "I take those as personal comments. Guys have to look at themselves and if that comment affects them then that's probably who it was made for."

"It depends on the individual. You can take it however. You can clam up and don't help your team or you can take it as a personal challenge and try to step up," said Kwame Brown, speaking like a veteran.

If playing Tracy McGrady and the Orlando Magic - owners of the seventh playoff position - wasn't bad enough for the Wizards, Stackhouse's words of being on the same page could be taken with a grain of salt considering his complaints about his number of shot attempts in the Knicks loss.  He was, however, able to reflect before tonight's game.

"Everybody knows I'm very competitive and I have a lot of pride in myself and my ability to play basketball," said Stackhouse, who tied a season low with five points. "When I go one for seven, I was upset in the heat of the moment. I still don't think it was intended to come off the way it did.

"It happens on every team and, a lot of times, most teams do a good job of keeping what they have in-house. I think because the magnitude of that game, the way everybody made it seem, it kind of bothered everybody that we lost the game. A lot of the laundry we had was aired that didn't need to be; maybe on my part, maybe on Michael's part, maybe on whoever's part.

"I think the most important thing is for us to get by and get past it. Winning is a cure-all. A win [tonight] will get everybody feeling good about each other and happy again."

He might not have been able to will the Wizards to victory, but no one can say that Jordan still cannot take over center stage in the biggest stage of them all.. even if he is 40.

Jordan overcame a bit of everything and then something on his way to 39 points for the Wizards, but it wasn't enough as the Knicks prevailed by one solitary point in what many expect to by Jordan's last hurrah at the Garden.  In a rare display of emotion the New York crowd even embraced Jordan, cheering when Knick Shandon Anderson missed a free throw in the dying seconds to keep alive a little Jordan magic.

Jordan did it all, even diving onto the New York floor and banging his head, the knock requiring a painkilling shot during a late-fourth-quarter timeout so he could continue.

"It's very disappointing when a 40-year-old man has more desire than a 25-, 26-year-old," Jordan said. "Diving for loose balls, busting his chin, doing everything he can to get this team into the playoffs. And it's not reciprocated from other players on this team."

"I can look at this locker room and see a few guys willing to do those things," Jordan added. "But I could look at it and see a lot more who won't do that. Until guys let go of that macho and cool attitude, and the necessary things it takes to play the game of basketball, it's going to be tough for Washington to make anything."

"Unfortunately I can't play here every night," Jordan concluded. "The respect the fans and the game has had in New York, it's a showcase of basketball. A lot of times people crack and don't respond well. It's always been a great place for me to focus on the basketball court and do my job. It wasn't any different today."

Michael Jordan will today play his last ever game at New York's Madison Square Garden, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes, and in his 44th trip to the Big Apple there is no one who could question what kind of show Jordan will put on, even at age 40 and with a creaky back.

"I go there not knowing what may happen," Jordan said. "That's usually how I go into the Garden. I'm not going in there with any preconceived ideas. Whatever happens, happens."

"You can't put it past him to have something special happen," Knicks captain Allan Houston said. "I think he always was well aware when he was in New York and at Madison Square Garden and he wanted to put a show on. But all we want to do is win the game and get closer to the playoffs."

It is unknown if Jordan will receive cheers or boos in his farewell, although he was booed by the Garden faithful at Patrick Ewing's farewell only nine days ago.

"He's kept the Knicks from being in The Finals," Houston said. "They hate him in a respectful way. You have to respect what he's done."

"I hope they boo him the whole game, and at the very end, they should give him a standing ovation," said ex-Knick Doc Rivers.