President Barack Obama is comparing the presidential contest to the fourth quarter of a basketball game.

Obama is fundraising in New York with the help of current and former National Basketball Association stars. He tells a small group of donors gathered at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center that the campaign is like a hoops contest in the final minutes.

His team has the lead, Obama says, the other side is coming on strong and, in his words, “they play a little dirty.”

Obama also uses basketball imagery to describe his team as having foul trouble and some injuries but “one last run in them.”

Obama raised $3 million Wednesday night with the help of former Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan and former Knicks Walt Frazier and Bill Bradley.