It was supposed to be Michael Jordan's magical night, a comeback of mythical magnitude for the game's brightest star in his first real game in three seasons. With Madison Square Garden the stage and New York the backdrop, the leading man had everything in place to captivate.

Everything but his A-game.

Jordan's bad pass in the fourth quarter resulted in a basket by Allan Houston and he missed two clutch shots, the last of which was a three-pointer in the waning seconds that could have tied the game to cap a rusty-at-best showing in Washington's 93-91 season-opening loss to the Knicks.