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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Although March is only 2 days old, Tracy
McGrady is off to a fine start for back-to-back NBA player of the
month honors.
|  | | Orlando's Tracy McGrady goes up between Cleveland's Andre Miller, left, and Matt Harpring. |
McGrady, honored by the league Thursday for what he did in
February, scored 36 points as Orlando defeated the reeling
Cleveland Cavaliers 120-94 Friday night.
McGrady, who shot 13-for-22, including 4-for-6 on 3-pointers,
also had six rebounds and five assists in his 31 minutes, which
didn't include any action in the fourth quarter.
In February, McGrady averaged 29.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and five
assists in leading Orlando to a 9-3 record. But he said there's
more important goals than being named the league's top player.
"I don't have time to be celebrating things like that," said
McGrady, who topped 30 points for the sixth time in seven games.
"I'm on a mission, the team's on a mission and we've got somewhere
we're trying to go."
Orlando, winner of 12 of its last 15 games, has a 31-26 record
and is a game behind Charlotte for the fifth seed in the Eastern
Conference playoffs.
Andre Miller's 22 points and nine rebounds led the Cavaliers,
who lost for the 15th time in 17 games. Chris Gatling scored 14
points before being ejected late in the third quarter for a
flagrant foul on Monty Williams.
McGrady keyed an 18-4 run late in the first quarter that
effectively decided the game. He had 11 points, including two dunks
and a 3-pointer, in the four-minute, eight-second tear.
The Magic, trailing by two points before McGrady let loose,
grabbed a 28-16 advantage with 1:28 remaining in the period.
Cleveland couldn't cut its deficit below eight points the rest of
the game.
"This was a game we were supposed to win," McGrady said.
"When you go into games like this, you definitely want to come out
and put the game away in the first quarter, or the first half. We
jumped on them pretty quick."
"I thought we were just a step behind all night," Cleveland
coach Randy Wittman said. "I thought the first three or four
minutes we were ready and then they got out and ran, they crashed
the boards, the got second-chance points and kind of broke our
backs."
Cleveland appeared to be suffering the aftereffects of an
overtime loss to Seattle the night before. The Cavaliers committed
18 turnovers, which Orlando converted into 31 points, and shot 32
percent (15-for-47) in the second and third quarters.
"It's tough for teams to play against us on the second night
because we come at you so hard," said Williams, who had 10 of his
15 points in the second quarter. "We run every guy on the team at
you. We're in shape. A lot of teams aren't in shape."
Game notes
The 120 points that Cleveland surrendered matched its
season high. On Feb. 13, Toronto beat the Cavaliers 120-105. ...
Orlando's Bo Outlaw suffered a cut from his own goggles after
colliding with Cleveland's Robert Traylor late in the third
quarter. Outlaw received stitches over his left eye and didn't
return. ... When McGrady and Mike Miller were named as the NBA's
player and rookie of the month, respectively, it marked the first
time in nearly eight years that teammates have been honored as
such. In April 1993, Charlotte's Larry Johnson (player) and Alonzo
Mourning (rookie) were the last to do so. ... Orlando guard Dee
Brown has suffered a setback in his return from a torn left
quadriceps tendon suffered in training camp. Magic coach Doc Rivers
said there was no timetable for Brown's return.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Cleveland Clubhouse
Orlando Clubhouse
RECAPS
Seattle 86
Indiana 83
Philadelphia 107
Washington 102
Charlotte 105
Atlanta 99
Boston 103
Utah 99
Orlando 120
Cleveland 94
Toronto 107
New Jersey 90
Miami 97
Detroit 93
Chicago 81
New York 72
Minnesota 89
Denver 71
LA Clippers 88
Sacramento 81
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