WASHINGTON, March 26 (Ticker) -- For the second time in a week, the Washington Wizards pummeled the Denver Nuggets with only a minor contribution from reserve Michael Jordan.

Swingman Richard Hamilton and guard Chris Whitney each scored 22 points as the Wizards dumped the Nuggets, 103-87, to stay in playoff contention in the Eastern Conference. Guard Courtney Alexander chipped in with 14 points, outscoring a Nuggets starting backcourt that only mustered six points, by himself.

"This was one of those games we knew we had to win and we cameout and played that way tonight," Hamilton said.

"I have no problem (coming off the bench) as long as the guys who are starting are doing their jobs, because ultimately, that's who's going to be the future of the team," Jordan said.

NBA TV highlights from Nuggets-Wizards: 56k | 300k Budget Fastbreak: Wizards 56k | 300k Mengke Bateer had a tough one against Rip and the Wiz, making just two of 10 shots, but he did have this sweet snuff. Mitchell Layton NBAE/Getty Images

Jordan scored seven points in his return from the injured list Wednesday as the Wizards crushed Denver, 107-75.

This time, he netted nine in 20 minutes -- and only three in the first half as he watched his teammates build a 13-point lead after one quarter en route to a 61-33 halftime advantage.

"All of the ego, all of the stat-watching, all those things that most young guys go through, I'm past," Jordan added. "So if the team is playing well with me coming off the bench, I will continue to come off the bench.""All of the ego, all of the stat-watching, all those things that most young guys go through, I'm past," Jordan added.

Washington (33-38), which faces Milwaukee, Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers in the remaining games in its homestand, is 2 1/2 games behind eighth-place Indiana for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

"It's going to be tough," Wizards coach Doug Collins said. "We have a homestand, but we have great teams coming in so we are going to have to play really, really well."

Donnell Harvey scored 15 of his career-high 18 points and former Wizard Juwan Howard chipped in 17 for Denver, which was looking for its first three-game winning streak in over four months. "I was just trying to be aggressive and doing what it takes to help my team come back -- trying to play hard defense and score if I can. I was trying to help us make a big run," Harvey said.

Whitney, who bested his previous season high by two points, scored 12 in the first quarter to pace the Wizards, who hit just 7-of-21 from the field but made 13-of-15 free throws.

Leading 29-17, Washington pulled away for good with a 14-2 run that Jordan capped with a spinning drive to the rim for a 43-19 advantage with 7:09 left.

The Wizards' lead grew as large as 71-39 on Hamilton's free throw 4:25 into the third quarter.

We were awful, didn't play very well," Nuggets coach Mike Evans said. "They got into us defensively and neither team was making a lot of shots early. They were able to make a run and we didn't respond very well."

Etan Thomas added a career-high 13 as Washington shot 48 percent (40-of-84) from the floor and dished out 26 assists -- seven by Whitney and six from Jordan.

"It was a must-win game. We realized that going into the game, we do not have any excuses anymore, our backs are against the wall," Alexander said.

The Wizards also snapped a three-game home losing streak to the Nuggets.

Denver shot 41 percent (29-of-71) from the field and hit 27-of-34 free throws. Washington finished 20-of-26 from the line.

Voshon Lenard netted 16 points and Kenny Satterfield 12 for the Nuggets, who posted an exciting 84-83 win in New York on Monday but never really got untracked.