Close your eyes, and you'll see it.

Michael Jordan at the foul line, the ball leaving his finger tips, his right hand waving at the rim...

And the ball nestling in the net.

Only in this dream, Michael Jordan is 67 years old.

If the game is close, and if the opponent is the Cavs, and if the last shot is to be taken, then you know what will happen.

The Cavs will become confused and forget to cover Jordan.

Jordan will end up with the ball behind the foul line, about 18 feet from the rim.

Shot. Buzzer. Swish. Ball game.

It happened in 1989...

It happened several times in the 1990s, including Game 4 of the 1993 playoffs...

It happened again last night, as the Washington Wizards ambushed the Cavs 93-92 at Gund Arena.

Jordan beating the Cavs the same way in three decades with two teams.

Yes, Jumaine Jones was only 10 years old the first time Jordan's jumper was a dagger through their hearts back in Game 5 of the 1989 playoffs.

And Bryant Stith was a 19-year-old freshman at the University of Virginia.

But they did have TV back then, and maybe, just maybe, they saw Jordan drill that jumper over Craig Ehlo at the old Coliseum. If not, maybe, just maybe, they have seen it since, as it has been replayed about a million times.

Stith and Jones had a chance to defend Jordan last night.

Both of them should be aware that when Jordan is on the same court with Chris Whitney, Popeye Jones, Tyrone Nesby and Rip Hamilton -- not exactly the Larry Bird Celtics -- maybe, just maybe, Jordan is going to take the last shot.

They also should have had a clue what Doug Collins would scheme in his huddle with 1.6 seconds left.

Collins was the same coach in 1989 who designed that play to free Jordan with three seconds left when they were together with the Chicago Bulls. The concept was the same. Jordan acts as if he's about to set a pick to free a teammate for a shot, then bolts to the foul line.

In 1989, at least he had to run about 35 feet from the basket to catch that pass from Brad Sellers, then had three seconds to dribble to the foul line -- and score.

This time, Stith and Jones stared at each other, pointing at Jordan, who was free at the top of the key.

``They got a little confused out there,'' said Collins.

Give Jones and Stith credit, they both switched off and smothered Chris Whitney, making sure the journeyman point guard didn't beat 'em.

But they lost Jordan. That's sort of like going on a whaling trip to catch Moby Dick and casting your nets on a minnow instead.

``I knew if I could get the ball to Michael, he'd make it,'' Collins said.

So did the sellout crowd of 20,562.

``I didn't have any doubts,'' Jordan said.

He never does.

So here we are in 2002. Jordan will be 39 in three weeks. He spent three years playing golf, smoking cigars and putting on about 35 pounds.

Now, he's back. He's averaging 25 points. He has taken a team that won only 19 games all of last season, and they are 22-21.

``He's the the MVP of the league,'' Cavs coach John Lucas insisted.

Jordan is a different player than the leaper who posed for the Nike logo, right arm extend, ball held high, flying over all the NBA for a dunk.

Now, he plays mostly a savvy, earthbound game, drilling one medium-range jumper after another.

``He's like Bob Knight on the court,'' Lucas said. ``He knows the game like a coach, and he's still playing. It's amazing.''

Jordan was on the court for 40 minutes last night. He had eight assists and could have racked up a dozen with teammates who had better hands and more awareness to be ready for his passes.

His 26 points last night was his lowest total in his past six games, a span where he's averaging 33.

``I can't imagine anything that Michael is doing now,'' Collins said. ``No one at... What?... 39 years old has ever done anything like this.''

Jordan now looks lean and in basketball condition. He probably has shed 30 pounds during the past nine months, and maybe 10 since his first appearance at Gund Arena in early December, a period where he also had an achy knee drained.

Instead of getting tired and injured, he seems to be getting stronger.

``I know the NBA is watered down,'' Lucas said. ``But he's still competing against the 300 best players in the world, and it's hard to name anyone who is playing any better, or at least having more of an impact on his team.''

Lucas says his younger Cavs players are clueless when it comes to Jordan; they have no idea how Jordan has made himself into such a sensational jump shooter, how he gets up at 6 a.m. to lift weights, how he watches his diet, gets his rest, plays it smart.

Last week, Jordan scorched the Cavs for 40 points.

``And I had my young guys saying, `If I had just got the ball, I'd have taken it right back at him,' '' said Lucas, shaking his head about his players having history right in front of their eyes, yet not seeing it.

``Michael is the ultimate pro,'' he said. ``From the way he plays to how he conducts himself with the public and the media. Our guys can learn a lot from him.''

And another lesson was delivered last night.


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