Top 5: Michael Jordan's greatest games with the Wizards

#2 Nets at Washington, 31 December 2001

They'd also drafted Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson in successive drafts as lottery picks, and they were a team on the come-up

Statline: 45 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals

The Nets had newly acquired Jason Kidd in a trade that sent Stephon Marbury the other way before the 2001-02 season commenced.

They'd also drafted Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson in successive drafts as lottery picks, and they were a team on the come-up.

As we've talked about earlier, of course, the Nets made the Finals for 2 consecutive seasons with a team built around this core.

During this game, however, the Nets were nowhere close to their best. This was a time when they started two power forwards (Martin and Keith van Horn) together while Jefferson came off the bench.

MJ took 32 shots, converting 16 of them. He also made 12 of his 13 free throw attempts as the Wizards played the Nets off the floor, mainly due to their offensive rebounding, en route to a 98-76 win.