ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlando's Tracy McGrady and Sacramento's
Bobby Jackson were ejected after a fight during the Kings' 114-108
overtime victory over the Magic on Tuesday night.
After the Magic, trailing by two points, called timeout with
35.1 seconds remaining, McGrady raised up the ball to shoot, but
Jackson slapped at the ball and hit his wrist.
McGrady then bounced the ball off Jackson's head, and Jackson
followed by shoving McGrady with both hands in the chest. McGrady
immediately tackled Jackson, and the two began to wrestle on the
floor before teammates, coaches and officials could break up the
fight.
"I was just turning around to shoot the ball and he snatched it
out of the air," said McGrady, who led Orlando with 25 points, 10
rebounds and eight assists. "I threw the ball at him because the
play was dead."
"He threw the ball and it hit me in the face," said Jackson.
"I don't know who he thinks I am, but I won't stand for that. He
got a little carried away. I won't take that from anybody."
During the melee that followed, Sacramento's Vlade Divac and
Hidayet Turkoglu were seen leaving the bench and heading onto the
floor. The pair face possible suspensions. NBA rules mandate a
suspension for any player who leaves the bench area during a fight
on the court.
Orlando spokesman Joel Glass said no Magic players left the
bench.
After Jackson and McGrady were separated, Jackson was being led
up a tunnel at T.D. Waterhouse Centre when a fan threw a cup of
liquid at him. Jackson tried to go into the stands and find the
fan, but he was stopped by security guards.
"I may have been wrong, but don't go and throw beer on me,"
said Jackson, who had eight points. "I tried to go find the guy in
the stands, but they wouldn't let me."
McGrady, the NBA's seventh-leading scorer with 27.7 average,
said he was unconcerned about the likelihood of a suspension.
"Whatever they give me, I'll take it, but I definitely don't
deserve it," said McGrady, who was suspended for a game for an
altercation with Philadelphia's Eric Snow in the first week of the
season. "I didn't throw a punch, I didn't throw the first blow."
Said Jackson: "I'm sure I'll get suspended, but I wasn't about
to let him step on me." Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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