Bulls clinch home court throughout playoffs

Game Flow

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Michael Jordan scored 16 of his 37 points in the third quarter as the Chicago Bulls clinched home-court advantage throughout the playoffs with a 110-94 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

The Bulls (65-10) can finish the season tied with the Utah Jazz for the league's best record, but Chicago owns the tiebreaker edge.

Michael Jordan was six for eight from the field during his 16-point third quarter. Check out our shot charts for the entire game.

Jordan now has 26,726 career points, moving him past Oscar Robertson (26,710) for fifth-place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

"We came out in the third quarter to make a statement and try to take control of the game," Jordan said. "I came out a little aggressive and took advantage of some opportunities. As my shot started to feel good, I suddenly got in a great rhythm."

Scottie Pippen scored 21 points and Jason Caffey added 14 for Chicago. Anfernee Hardaway and Rony Seikaly had 23 points each for Orlando (41-33), which has lost five of its last six games.

Orlando's lead in the race for the seventh playoff spot in the East was reduced to two games over Washington and 2½ games over Cleveland.

"We've got two challenging weeks ahead of us," Orlando coach Richie Adubato said. "I have confidence that we're going to pull through. We're going to have to try and maintain the seventh spot."

Pippen scored 14 points and Jordan 13 in the first half, helping Chicago to a 53-50 lead. Hardaway's short hook opened the second half and pulled Orlando within a point before Chicago went on a 21-4 tear to break open the game.

Jordan scored 13 points during the burst, including a 15-footer that gave the Bulls their largest lead at 74-54 with 6:33 remaining in the period.

"That's the hand you're dealt when he's on the court," Seikaly said of Jordan. "You think that he's having a quiet night, and all of a sudden he turns it on. And everybody around him looks like they're in slow motion or little kids."

Michael Jordan drives past Nick Anderson.

Eight points from Seikaly and six from Hardaway helped Orlando cut the deficit to 83-71 entering the fourth quarter.

Seikaly's three-point play pulled the Magic within nine with 10:38 to go, and Orlando stayed within nine points until a jumper by Brian Williams and a basket by Steve Kerr gave Chicago a 95-82 advantage. The Magic got no closer thereafter.

Williams and Ron Harper scored 10 points apiece for the Bulls, who shot 55 percent (39 for 71) from the field and 10 of 19 from 3-point range. Pippen was four for six and Jordan three for six from beyond the arc.

Williams, signed earlier this week, added four rebounds in his second game with the Bulls. He was four for nine from the field in 20 minutes.

"He is really an aggressive basketball player," Bulls coach Phil Jackson said of Williams. "He plays all out and he plays 100 percent all the time when he is out there on the floor."

Gerald Wilkins had 13 points for Orlando, which shot 47 percent (33 for 70) and was outrebounded 38-31.