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Monday, Mar. 6 7:00pm ET
Garrity's fadeaway jumper wins game | |||||
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Pat Garrity rewarded Doc Rivers for keeping faith in him. Garrity made a fadeaway jumper from the top of the key as time expired to give the Orlando Magic a come-from-behind 87-85 victory over the Washington Wizards.
"This is a play we run probably three times a year," Garrity said. "I missed three shots already tonight, and coach had the confidence in me to make the play and make this shot." With the score tied at 85 and 8.1 seconds left, Garrity came off a pick set by Darrell Armstrong, wheeled and hit the 19-footer as time ran out. It was Garrity's lone second-half basket as he finished with only five points. Chucky Atkins sparked a fourth-quarter comeback, scoring seven straight and 10 of his team-high 15 in the period. Corey Maggette came off the bench to score 14 and make up for the absence of Ron Mercer, who was out with a sprained ankle. "That was a great win for us," Rivers said. "Any win without Mercer is a great win." Washington coach Darrell Walker again was angered by his team's effort, especially during a lackluster final two quarters. "We didn't come to play in the second half and they showed they could beat us," Walker said. "I don't know if they were sleepwalking out there or what. There was no effort at all. I'm a little peeved right now." Atkins scored the seven straight points for the Magic to turn an 82-78 deficit into an 85-82 lead in the final minute. Washington rookie Richard Hamilton made a 3-point shot with 12.2 seconds left to tie the score before Garrity hit the game-winner. Hamilton scored a career-high 25 points, 13 in the fourth quarter. Orlando now has beaten Washington in 10 of their last 12 meetings. The Magic held a 51-38 rebounding edge, led by former Wizard Ben Wallace's 16 rebounds. Orlando had 18 offensive rebounds to just six for the Wizards. The Magic's reserves, nicknamed "The Magnificent Seven," scored 50 of the team's 87 points. Maggette came off the bench to lead a 14-2 second-quarter run that helped the Magic take a 52-49 halftime lead. Hamilton got rolling in the second half, scoring 15 of his points to help the Wizards stay close.
Game notes | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Orlando Clubhouse Washington Clubhouse RECAPS Orlando 87 Washington 85
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