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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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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.
|  | | Boston's Bryant Stith loses control of the ball as Orlando's Tracy McGrady defends from behind.
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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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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Orlando Clubhouse
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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