RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
ATLANTA (AP) -- Leading the Orlando Magic is nothing new to
Darrell Armstrong.
|  | | Darrell Armstrong made up for the absence of Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady with a 21-point performance Saturday night. |
With Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady unable to play, Armstrong
carried Orlando with 21 points as the Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks
107-104 Saturday night.
"We needed somebody to step up," said Armstrong, who led the
Magic last season in scoring, assists, steals and minutes played.
"We didn't care who it was. The whole team stepped up."
Armstrong scored 11 points in the fourth quarter on 5-for-7
shooting. With Orlando up 93-91, Armstrong hit a 3-pointer from the
top of the key to pad the lead with 6:10 remaining.
His 10-foot jumper made it 98-91 with 5:28 to go, and
Armstrong's 15-footer from the left side 40 seconds later put the
Magic up 100-93.
Hill, who sat on the bench in street clothes, was sidelined with
a sore left ankle. McGrady was serving a one-game suspension for an
altercation in Orlando's loss to Philadelphia Friday night.
"Darrell was huge," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "I get
credit, the coaches get credit, Darrell Armstrong should get credit
because he is the coach on the basketball floor. He took over the
game today. He turned to the bench and said, 'Put me in a
pick-and-roll at the top, and I'll deliver,' and I was smart enough
to listen."
Roshown McLeod, who finished with a career-high 24 points,
brought the Hawks within three when his 20-foot jumper made it
105-102 with 1:09 remaining.
Jason Terry's driving layup with 19.6 seconds to go cut
Orlando's lead to 105-104. Jim Jackson watched his four-footer in
the lane roll out of the basket, ending the Hawks' last legitimate
chance with 3.2 seconds remaining.
"I can't make a shot," said Jackson, who scored 10 points on
4-for-15 shooting. "I can't rely on that right now."
Monty Williams and Charles Outlaw each hit a free throw to close
the scoring.
Orlando, which led by as many as 15 in the first half, got 19
points apiece from Pat Garrity and rookie Mike Miller.
Hill pulled Miller aside before the game and offered some
encouragement.
"It felt good starting," Miller said. "Unfortunately, Grant's
going to be missing for a while, and Tracy was out. It felt good,
and I'm just happy we got the win. With those two out, it was a big
win."
Chris Crawford came off the bench to score a career-high 22
points for Atlanta. Alan Henderson, who finished with 19 points,
led all players with 15 rebounds.
"It was a good effort down the stretch, but we're still very
disappointed with the result," Hawks coach Lon Kruger said. "A
lot of good things _ the effort, different guys stepping up. We
really have to focus better, work harder. The effort we put in was
outstanding, but we just have to do it every possession right to
the finish."
Game
notes
A loss in Vancouver on Monday would make the Hawks 0-4,
which would match the 1994 start, a franchise-worst. ... Miller
left the game briefly in the first quarter with a sprained ankle.
... The Hawks scored 35 points off 22 Orlando turnovers. ... Terry
handed out a game-high nine assists.
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NBA Scoreboard
Orlando Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
Hill out two weeks with sore left ankle
RECAPS
LA Lakers 98
Vancouver 89
Indiana 94
Chicago 81
Toronto 103
Washington 96
Orlando 107
Atlanta 104
Cleveland 91
Boston 89
Philadelphia 84
Miami 82
Utah 112
Dallas 106
Minnesota 99
Sacramento 91
Charlotte 98
New Jersey 87
Milwaukee 97
Detroit 88
Phoenix 102
Denver 99
Portland 97
Seattle 90
San Antonio 117
Golden State 105
LA Clippers 77
Houston 74
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