 Washington's Christian Laettner meets resistance at the hoop against Milwaukee. Mitchell Layton/NBAE/Getty Images from Bucks-Wizards: 56k | 300k |
Milwaukee dominated the second quarter en route to a 58-41 halftime lead. The 38-year-old Jordan scored 16 points in the third as the Wizards pulled within 84-78 entering the final period.
Washington scored the first six points of the fourth to tie it before Allen sparked a 7-0 run with a three-point play that gave the Bucks the lead for good, 87-84, with 9:07 to go.
"I thought they would come back on us, but they caught us a little faster than I thought they would," Bucks coach George Karl. "We needed to be challenged like that. Letting them tie us up on the road, then getting back in control of the game was good."
Jordan made just 2-of-6 shots and committed three turnovers in the final 12 minutes as the Wizards lost their fifth straight game and fell to 1-3 at the MCI Center.
"The second quarter puts us in so much of a deficit," Jordan said. "We spend so much energy trying to get back into the game that down the stretch, we are tired."
Allen, who scored a season-low 16 points in Saturday's loss to Minnesota, also dished out a season-high nine assists. Sam Cassell scored a season-high 27 points and Glenn Robinson added 13.
The Bucks shot 49 percent (35-of-71) and drained 10-of-21 shots from the arc to remain undefeated in three road games this year. Milwaukee has won nine of its last 12 meetings with Washington.
Tim Thomas scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and nailed both his 3-pointers. Rafer Alston chipped in 10 points and also was one of six Bucks to make a 3-pointer.
"I don't think I've ever played or coached against a team that can come at you so many different ways," Washington coach Doug Collins said. "Their shooting is fabulous."
Jordan finished with 31 points -- one shy of his season high -- on 12-of-24 shooting. It marked the first time this season that the 10-time scoring champion shot 50 percent.
Washington's Christian Laettner nearly had a triple-double with 12 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Popeye Jones tied a season high with 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench.
"Doug's been telling me all year to shoot the ball," said Jones, who made 5-of-5 shots. "But I haven't felt comfortable since the preseason. Hopefully, I can build on that and become a threat because it allowed Michael to get some more open shots."
Both teams shot better than 60 percent in the first quarter, but it was the Wizards that cooled off first.
Milwaukee scored the first 12 points of the second quarter to take a 41-29 lead. Washington missed its first six shots of the period before Tyronn Lue drained a jumper with 5:56 to go.
The Wizards made just 6-of-20 shots in the quarter and committed seven turnovers, leading to 14 points for the Bucks.
Michael Redd scored nine of his 11 points in the period as Milwaukee outscored Washington, 29-12, to build a 17-point halftime cushion.
"After we get down so much in the second quarter we get discombobulated on defense," Jordan said. "Trying to get back in the game, we lose our continuity on offense."
Ervin Johnson had 10 rebounds and three blocks as Milwaukee played without forward Jason Caffey, who was suspended by the team for missing Tuesday's flight and Wednesday's shootaround.
"I thought Ervin was our most valuable player," Karl said. "He made some big blocks, grabbed some big rebounds and kept us together with his intensity."
"As the guys off the bench, we always have to give the team a lift," said Johnson, who scored seven points. "We're winning, that's the good thing, but the bad thing is the way we're winning. We have to focus for 48 minutes. We can't let teams back into games."