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Saturday, Dec. 2 7:30pm ET
McGrady delivers 40 points, 10 rebounds

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The Orlando Magic had no idea Tracy McGrady was this good.

McGrady had a career-high 40 points, 10 rebounds and five assists as the Orlando Magic beat New Jersey 95-74 on Saturday night, handing the Nets their season-high seventh straight loss.

"He is getting better and better," said sidelined Orlando forward Grant Hill. "No one knew he was this good. He's working his way through the double teams and finding his shot. He's gotten stronger and more confident. My being out has given him the opportunity, and he has responded."

McGrady, who had 71 points in back-to-back wins over the injury-riddled Nets, single-handedly outscored the Nets starters 40-32, capping his career night with a scoop layup with 1:35 to play. He hit 18 of 32 shots from the field and all four of his free throws in breaking his previous high of 32 set on opening night against Washington on Oct. 31.

"He just had it going," Nets guard Kendall Gill said. "He's had it going the last two nights. Everything he threw up there was going down. When players have those nights, you can't stop them."

With the Magic still reeling from a stretch of seven losses in eight games, McGrady said he felt more pressure to produce.

"It was just one of those nights, everything felt good, from the first jumper to the last," said the 21-year-old, who was acquired by Orlando from Toronto in the offseason in a sign-and-trade deal. "When you get in a groove like that, it feels like you can hit anything."

McGrady almost did while scoring 20-plus points for the 10th straight game.

"It was an unusual 40 points, no threes, only four free throws," Orlando coach Doc Rivers said. "It shows how much he dominated."

Pat Garrity added 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter when Orlando used a 16-4 spurt to turn its second win over the Nets in as many nights into a laugher.

Any chance the Nets had probably ended with 15 seconds left in the first quarter when point guard Stephon Marbury, the NBA's fourth-leading scorer, sprained his left ankle on a drive to the basket. He had the ankle retaped and played 34 minutes, but he never scored again, finishing with 12 points, 14 below his average.

"It definitely hurt," Marbury said. "I had no explosiveness."

McGrady, who had 31 points on Friday night against the Nets in a three-point win, was even better on Saturday. Playing with a heavily taped left hand, he had 24 at the half and he came up big when New Jersey made its only serious run, tying the game at 54 on a jumper by rookie Kenyon Martin.

With Orlando leading 59-56 after Nets forward Johnny Newman made one of two free throws, McGrady scored six straight points for the Magic in a 12-3 run that gave them a 71-59 lead late in the third quarter.

New Jersey closed within 75-67 early in the fourth quarter, but McGrady had four points and Garrity added eight more in a 12-point run that put the game out of reach.

Game notes
Nets guard Kerry Kittles, sidelined all season while rehabilitating a knee injury, attended the game. ... Orlando's Don Reid missed his second straight game with a stomach virus. ... Nets backup forward Johnny Newman played despite getting two stitches in his lip Friday night. ... The game marked the third time (3-10) Orlando has won while scoring under 100 points. The Magic had lost seven of eight before playing the Nets...The win was Orlando's third in eight road games.
NBA Scoreboard

Orlando Clubhouse

New Jersey Clubhouse

RECAPS
Atlanta 101
Milwaukee 94

Charlotte 94
Utah 89

Philadelphia 112
Cleveland 78

Orlando 95
New Jersey 74

New York 100
Minnesota 90

Miami 93
Washington 90

Portland 96
Houston 85

Denver 103
Seattle 92

Dallas 97
Golden State 78


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