WASHINGTON - The youth of the Washington Wizards may eventually be served, but for the time being, the team's graybeards will dominate.

Last night, the Wizards' veteran corps helped Washington paste the Milwaukee Bucks, 103-78, to end a six-game losing streak on the fifth anniversary of MCI Center.

Five players scored in double figures for the home team (7-10), with four of them - Michael Jordan, Bryon Russell, Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes - having at least five years experience. There were also solid contributions from Charles Oakley and Christian Laettner.

"It's going to be the veterans that get us wins and, hopefully, the rookies will follow suit," said Russell, who tied a season high with 16 points. "If we're not playing hard, they won't play hard. We have to set an example and we really set the tone [last night]."

Washington coach Doug Collins kicked the ball to the old school, benching second-year forward Kwame Brown and replacing him in the starting lineup with Laettner, who got his first start since the opener in Toronto on Oct. 30.

Laettner responded by scoring nine points in 21 minutes, reaching the 10,000-point mark for his 10-year career. Meanwhile, Brown and Jared Jeffries, who had been getting heavy minutes, played only 11 and three minutes, respectively, signaling a shift in the winds around the Wizards' camp.

"For whatever reason, the young kids are still having a tough time adapting to the expectations every single night," said Jordan, who had 25 points in his second start of the year.

"The good thing about this team is that we have a bunch of veterans on this team that can carry that weight while they continue to try to make the adjustments. ...

"Hopefully, we can throw those young kids in there and they can respond when we need them, but they were not responding when they were starting. We just had to shake up the lineup and [last night] it looked good."

The Wizards, who meet Detroit tonight on the road, caught Milwaukee (8-9) at the right time, as All-Star guard Ray Allen (sprained right ankle) and forward Toni Kukoc (right thumb) were both on the injured list. And point guard Sam Cassell (Dunbar) had a horrid game, shooting 3-for-12 for nine points.

"We got a break [last night]," said Collins. "Toni Kukoc is hurt, Ray Allen is out and the heart and soul of that team is Sam Cassell and he had an off night. We did a good job and he had an off night and now we're going to force those guys to step up."

The Wizards broke away from a one-point, first-quarter lead with an 11-2 run to start the second period that gave them a 35-25 lead with 9:41 to go in the first half.

Russell's three-pointer with 8:48 remaining in the half gave Washington a 38-27 advantage, and the Bucks would get no closer the rest of the way.

Wizards tonight

Opponent:Detroit Pistons

Site:The Palace of Auburn Hills (Mich.)

Time:7:30

TV/Radio:Comcast SportsNet/WTEM (980 AM)