Surprise, Surprise: Jordan At The Buzzer

Four games into his comeback, Michael Jordan did what everyone has been waiting for - win a game for the Chicago Bulls.

One night after he went 7 for 23 in a home loss to Orlando, Jordan hit a 16-footer at the buzzer that carried the visiting Bulls to a 99-98 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

“I’ve been chasing the game,” said Jordan, who finished with 32 points. “Tonight I let it come to me. For the first time, I came through under pressure. I finished strong.”

Jordan said he wanted to redeem himself.

“I hoped Atlanta would be a good place for that to happen,” Jordan said. “It’s close to North Carolina and The Omni has always been a good place for me. I get great respect from the fans here and I appreciate it.”

The sellout crowd of 16,378 cheered every time Jordan scored.

“This is the first time I’ve felt really positive, like I contributed,” he said. “After stinking it up last night (against Orlando), this means a lot mentally.”

It was the first time Jordan had the opportunity to shoot with the game on the line since coming out of retirement, and he made it count, giving the Bulls a 2-2 record since his return.

Jordan hit 14 of 26 shots, all four free throws, grabbed four rebounds and had two assists in 43 minutes. He got 18 of his points in the third quarter, matching Atlanta’s total for the period.