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Wednesday, March 14, 2001
McGrady, four others suspended
Associated Press
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CLEVELAND -- Orlando's Tracy McGrady was suspended for two
games without pay and fined $10,000 Wednesday by the NBA for
hitting Sacramento's Bobby Jackson in the face with a ball and
fighting with the Kings guard.
Jackson was suspended for one game and fined $7,500.
Sacramento's Vlade Divac, Scot Pollard and Art Long also were suspended one game for leaving the Kings' bench during the
altercation. They sat out the game Wednesday night in Miami.
McGrady began serving his suspension Wednesday night when the
Magic played the Cavaliers.
"I was surprised it was two (games)," Magic coach Doc Rivers
said. "I assumed it would be one. I told Tracy that, too.
Obviously, this is not good for our team.
"No one is going to take Tracy's place, but as a group we have
to pull together. It's difficult but that's the way it is."
McGrady, who was warned earlier this week by NBA vice president
Stu Jackson for commenting about the possibility of Kings free
agent Chris Webber playing in Orlando, also will miss the Magic's
game Friday against Vancouver.
He will return in time to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
"I'd rather he missed a game that we'd have a chance in,"
Rivers said. "I'm just being honest."
With McGrady making $9.6 million this season, the suspension
will cost him more than $200,000.
The fracas happened in the final seconds of Orlando's 114-108
overtime defeat Tuesday night.
The Kings were fined $22,500 -- $7,500 for Jackson's involvement
and an automatic $5,000 for each player who left the bench area.
"They just crossed the line, literally," Sacramento's Chris
Webber said.
"The rules are the rules. Everyone knows about them," Predrag
Stojakovic said.
The Magic were fined $10,000 for McGrady's role.
Rivers didn't find out about the suspension until the Magic were
about to board their team bus for Gund Arena.
"I don't know what took so long," Rivers said. "When I told
Tracy he was surprised."
On Tuesday, the NBA told McGrady that comments he made about
Webber could be construed as tampering.
In a story published in the Orlando Sentinel, McGrady said he
could entice Webber to sign with the Magic as a free agent after
the season.
McGrady was suspended in November for one game for pushing
Philadelphia's Eric Snow. But Rivers said he doesn't feel he needs
to lecture his star player.
"He's 21," Rivers said. "But I'd like to stack him up against
any 21-year-old on the street. He's handled the off-the-court stuff
better than any of us suspected."
With Grant Hill out for the year, McGrady has become a target
for some teams, Rivers said.
"He gets mauled," Rivers said, "and if I was the other team,
I would do the same thing. I think Tracy has done a pretty good job
of keeping his cool."
Rivers said one of the officials warned the Magic bench with
about nine minutes left that Sacramento was upset and that things
could get ugly.
"The sad part is that it marred a terrific game," Rivers said.
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ALSO SEE
McGrady scuffle mars end of Kings' win over Magic
Food for thought: McGrady warned about Webber tampering
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