RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Utah wasn't done in by its age playing back-to-back nights. Instead, the Jazz capitalized on their experience.
|  | | With a heavy bandage on his infected left hand, Orlando's Tracy McGrady had 28 points ... and eight turnovers. |
Karl Malone had 27 points and 11 rebounds Wednesday night as
Utah held off the Orlando Magic to win their fifth straight game,
88-86.
"That's our team," Malone said. "We execute down the stretch.
We don't push the panic button. We're a veteran team and we just
play the game. I don't know if we're calmer, we're just older. We
don't get too excited about a hell of a lot of things."
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was concerned that his aging team would
struggle after winning at New Jersey on Tuesday night. Utah hadn't
played on consecutive nights yet this season.
"I did not know how we would come back energy-wise because we
have not played back-to-back games yet," Sloan said. "Those are
things that we are looking to see how we come out of. They have
done a pretty good job.
"I have an older group of guys. In fact, I have told people a number of times that I have coached guys at Fantasy Camp younger than these guys."
Orlando's John Amaechi hit a pair of free throws with 32.5 seconds remaining to cut Utah's lead to 88-86.
The Magic then rebounded a missed layup by Utah's Bryon Russell
but Tracy McGrady was swarmed as he tried to get a final shot off,
prompting Magic coach Doc Rivers to run onto the court and argue
that McGrady was fouled as time expired.
Rivers didn't let up after the game and said he already had called Stu Jackson, the NBA's vice president of basketball operations, to voice his dissatisfaction with the non-call.
"Cowardly is the best word I can come up with," Rivers said of the referees. "All three of them. It's really frustrating, too. Tough way to walk off the court, screaming at the refs. I'm getting too good at that."
The controversy overshadowed a solid effort by McGrady, who
returned after missing the last two games with an infected hand.
McGrady, playing with a heavily bandaged left hand, had 28 points,
seven rebounds, four assists and eight turnovers. Amaechi scored 17
points and Darrell Armstrong had 11.
Reserve Danny Manning scored 11 points for Utah. Russell and
Olden Polynice added 10 each.
Orlando led the entire second half until Malone hit a free throw
to tie the game at 84 and a jumper that put the Jazz up two with
1:12 to play.
A pair of free throws by Manning gave Utah a four-point lead at
the 39.1 mark.
Orlando led by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter but
the Jazz used an 11-3 run to cut the Magic's lead to 79-78 with
5:21 remaining.
McGrady helped break open a close game when he scored eight consecutive points early in the third quarter to give Orlando a 58-48 lead.
Malone then scored the game's next six points to close Orlando's
lead to 58-54. But McGrady followed with a dunk as the Magic went
on to build its lead to 71-62 after three quarters.
Orlando closed the first half on an 11-4 run to lead 47-46.
Game notes
Utah has won eight of the last nine meetings between the
teams. ... Russell had a season-high five steals. ... Polynice had
a season-high 10 points, all in the first quarter. ... McGrady has
scored 20 or more points 10 times this season. He has led Orlando
in scoring in nine of the 13 games he's played. ... Amaechi has
reached double-figure scoring in six consecutive games.
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NBA Scoreboard
Utah Clubhouse
Orlando Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 93
Washington 87
Charlotte 103
Toronto 79
Detroit 97
New Jersey 76
Utah 88
Orlando 86
Denver 107
Minnesota 100
Miami 84
New York 81
San Antonio 82
Sacramento 79
Vancouver 109
Phoenix 106
LA Clippers 106
Golden State 83
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