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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The 1-2-2 trap that Orlando Magic
coach Doc Rivers used to stop Stephon Marbury in the second half
did better than expected. It took all the New Jersey Nets players
out of the game.
|  | | New Jersey's Stephen Jackson tries to hold the line against Orlando's Tracy McGrady. |
Tracy McGrady put on a fourth-quarter show by scoring 11 of his
36 points and the Magic's gimmick defense limited the Nets to seven
second-half baskets as Orlando posted a 101-87 win on Thursday
night.
"The trap wasn't to force turnovers," Rivers said. "The trap
was to take the ball out of Stephon Marbury's hands, who we had no
answer for in the first half."
The Magic, who also got 20 points and a season-high 14 assists
from Darrell Armstrong, had all the answers in the final 24
minutes. They forced 15 of the Nets' 20 turnovers and outscored
them 46-22 after falling behind by 10 points early in the third
quarter.
The result on Marbury was just as good. He had 20 points, but
just three in the second half.
"They let a 1-2-2 trap take them out of the game," said Nets
coach Byron Scott, who waited almost 35 minutes before talking to
the media. "We got passive. We got selfish."
Scott also used the words stagnant, careless and scared. And
then he got angry when asked if his team could win 38 games, a goal
he set earlier in the day.
"Watching this makes me doubt if we got the guys in there with
enough heart to play hard enough every night. That's what watching
this does for me," Scott said.
It wasn't hard watching McGrady as the Magic snapped a four-game
losing streak by beating the Nets for the third time in four games.
McGrady, 21, shot 14-for-27 from the field and took over after
Johnny Newman converted a three-point play to tie it at 81 for New
Jersey.
"Tracy is terrific," Rivers said. "He sees double teams every
night, still he is looking to pass the ball to an open teammate. He
doesn't try to take the game over unless you need it. But he
certainly stepped up over the last five minutes."
McGrady gave Orlando the lead with a monster jam on the break
and he stretched the lead to 85-82 with a jumper after Stephen
Jackson made one of two free throws.
A tip-in by Newman got New Jersey within a point and then came
the play of the game by McGrady and Andrew DeClercq.
McGrady missed two free throws, but DeClercq got inside position
and got the rebound. He fed McGrady for a jumper that ignited an
11-1 spurt that featured four more points by McGrady.
"We had to do something to get us back in the game," McGrady
said. "We had to stop Stephon since he initiates everything. If
you stop Stephon, you stop the Nets. We were so aggressive
defensively in the second half we didn't give them anything easy.
That shows how well we can play defense, which is the way we have
to play."
Mike Miller added 17 points for Orlando, which shot 50 percent
from the field.
New Jersey shot 7-for-32 from the field in the second half. Keith
Van Horn missed all eight of his shots in the half, finishing
1-for-12.
"We were never able to get into a good rhythm on offense," Van
Horn said. "We never ran our normal plays and I forced up shots
that I normally don't take."
Game notes
Nets guard Kendall Gill is leaving the team to have his
right knee (tendinitis) examined by experts in three cities. ...
Marbury picked up an early technical for arguing with official
Bennie Adams. ... The Nets shot 36.5 percent from the field. ...
New Jersey outrebounded Orlando 44-37. ... John Amaechi did not
start for Orlando, and was replaced by Charles Outlaw. ... McGrady
has led the Magic in scoring in 23 of 35 games. He has averaged 31
points against New Jersey.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Orlando Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
RECAPS
Atlanta 107
Golden State 96
Portland 83
Charlotte 70
Orlando 101
New Jersey 87
Houston 76
New York 75
Milwaukee 102
Dallas 94
Phoenix 93
Indiana 85
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Tracy McGrady Official Site
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