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Wednesday, Apr. 4 7:30pm ET
McGrady puts injury aside to lead Orlando past Boston

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- After seeing Tracy McGrady hobble to the locker room the night before, Orlando coach Doc Rivers wanted to know only one thing before the Magic's game against Boston on Wednesday night: Could he play?

Could he ever.

Tracy McGrady
Boston's Bryant Stith loses control of the ball as Orlando's Tracy McGrady defends from behind.

McGrady, who strained his right quadriceps Tuesday night in New York, had 34 points and a career-high 11 assists as Orlando clinched a playoff berth with a 108-101 victory over the Celtics.

"I'm not going to let anything stop me from going on," said McGrady, who scored 22 points after halftime. "This team needs me, and I'm there for them."

"In the third and fourth quarters, (McGrady) basically said, give me the ball," Rivers said. "That was not a very difficult choice."

Bo Outlaw scored a season-high 21 points for the Magic, who return to the postseason after a one-year absence.

Orlando is in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind Toronto, which beat Cleveland 97-94 Wednesday, and Charlotte, which lost to Phoenix 103-94. The Magic play host to the Raptors on Friday night.

"We've just got to continue to end the season strong, and get ready for the playoffs" said McGrady, who also had eight rebounds. "Hopefully, we'll move up. Good thing about it, we're in there."

The defeat dropped Boston a half-game behind idle Indiana in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Antoine Walker scored 24 points, and Paul Pierce had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics.

"At this point in the season for us, every loss is tough to swallow," said Pierce, who shot only 4-for-15 from the field and 8-for-14 from the line. "We keep putting our backs against the wall with each loss."

McGrady's performance as a ball distributor was essential for the Magic, who were without Darrell Armstrong. The Magic's starting point guard was placed on the injured list before the game after re-aggravating a groin injury in the defeat against the Knicks.

"(McGrady) really turned it on in the fourth quarter," said Orlando's Pat Garrity, who scored six of his 14 points during a crucial fourth-quarter run. "We basically put him at point guard, ran the high pick-and-roll with him and he just took off."

Reserve point guard Troy Hudson also came through, handing out a season-high 13 assists.

The Magic broke the game open midway through the fourth quarter with a 13-2 run. Garrity's 3-pointer with 6:41 remaining broke an 85-all tie and put Orlando ahead to stay.

Before Orlando's run, the game had 25 lead changes and 18 ties.

Walker capped his 14-point first half with a 3-pointer with four seconds left before intermission. That basket put Boston ahead by five points, but McGrady's buzzer-beating 3-pointer brought the Magic to 51-49.

Boston broke out to its biggest lead of the game with 5:23 left in the first quarter, as Walker's 3-pointer put the Celtics ahead 19-13.

Walker shot 9-for-16, including 3-for-6 on 3-pointers.

However, Orlando outscored Boston 16-7 over the next 4:31 for a three-point lead, its largest of the half.

Game notes
Boston's Vitaly Potapenko had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. ... McGrady was hit with a technical foul with 9:20 remaining after complaining to referee Courtney Kirkland that he was fouled on a rebound. But Boston didn't capitalize, as Bryant Stith missed the free throw. ... Orlando reserve point guard Cory Alexander sprained his right foot midway through the fourth quarter and did not return. ... The Celtics are 14-6 in games decided by five points or less since Jim O'Brien took over as Boston's coach Jan. 8.

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RECAPS
Miami 86
Washington 84

Phoenix 103
Charlotte 94

Toronto 97
Cleveland 94

Philadelphia 90
Detroit 84

Orlando 108
Boston 101

Minnesota 83
Portland 79

Vancouver 86
LA Clippers 78

Milwaukee 108
Golden State 78


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