"It was a two-man game in some respects," Jordan said.

Carter and Kidd are thriving in a two-man game.

"Allen and I are going to try to play a two-man game," Mutombo said, promising to be an offensive threat, too.

"If he had been in there, we probably would have run a different set with a two-man game with myself and Rik," Miller said.

They worked the two-man game.

But some two-man games are meant to happen, and their odd intersection began 13 years ago when they both received a formal invitation from Bobby Knight.

Non-poker-players will tire after several pages of counterpoint over such questions as: in a two-man game, is three of a kind a good hand?

He can drop in an 18-footer, bang with Karl Malone and work a two-man game with a shooting guard.

"Bibi says you and Anthony were playing a two-man game," I said.

I tried to get him and Kenyon playing a two-man game down the stretch as much as possible because both guys were having one of those nights.