ORLANDO, Florida, 22 January 2005 — Playing in Orlando for the first time since a bitter parting last summer, Tracy McGrady scored 27 points Thursday to lead a balanced offense as the Houston Rockets beat the Magic 108-99.
Yao Ming added 20 points, and Bob Sura had 19 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. David Wesley scored 18, and Juwan Howard 13. It was McGrady’s insistence on playing with a decent supporting cast, something the Magic could never provide, that prompted his departure in a blockbuster, seven-player trade.
“I was so focused,” said McGrady, winner of two scoring titles in four seasons with Orlando. “I knew the reception I was going to get, but while I was out on the basketball court I was just trying to find ways to get myself going and make my team better.”
Steve Francis, the biggest name Orlando received in the deal, led the Magic with 28 points and nine assists.
“I think he realizes that other guys getting touches, getting involved early helps closing games out,” said Magic forward Grant Hill, sidelined for almost all of McGrady’s stay in Orlando. “It might not be as sexy as scoring 50 ... but you can see the growth on his part.”
Hill had 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting, the day after an MRI exam on his sore right wrist showed only a bruise.€
Mavericks 99, Clippers 77
In Dallas, Jason Terry scored 11 of his 15 points in the third quarter, when Dallas went ahead to stay against the suddenly struggling Los Angeles Lakers.
With Avery Johnson coaching while Don Nelson missed his first game after shoulder surgery, the Mavericks went on a 14-6 run over the final 3:44 of the third quarter. Terry had half the points in the game-turning stretch.
Los Angeles has lost four straight and six of eight. The Clippers (18-21) are three games under .500 for the first time this season.
Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 28 points. Josh Howard added 13 points and Erick Dampier had 11 rebounds.
Elton Brand had 24 points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers.€
Kings 123, Cavaliers 96
In Sacramento, California, Mike Bibby had 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for the second triple-double of his career as Sacramento shut down LeBron James in its sixth straight victory Cleveland.
Chris Webber had 27 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Kings, who streaked to a big lead in the third quarter with an impressive exhibition of arguably the NBA’s best passing offense. Sacramento took control with a 16-5 run early in the third quarter, with each basket seemingly resulting from an excellent pass or an eye-catching steal.
Peja Stojakovic scored 19 points and Cuttino Mobley had 18, while Brad Miller added 16 on 7-of-7 shooting. With Bibby leading the way, Sacramento racked up 34 assists and just eight turnovers in its highest-scoring game of the season. One night after becoming the youngest player in NBA history to get a triple-double, James had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists while disappearing for long stretches. Drew Gooden scored 17 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavs, who also lost guard Jeff McInnis in the fourth quarter with an apparent foot injury.
Meantime, Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson underwent surgery to repair an almost completely torn right rotator cuff on Thursday.
Nelson was recuperating at home, and expected to miss 10 games or more before rejoining the NBA team in two to three weeks.
“He’s doing OK,” said assistant coach Avery Johnson, who was filling in for Nelson. “It was much more painful than he thought.”
Nelson, 64, said earlier this week that he has needed surgery for the past eight years. He said the rotator cuff was 90 percent torn and that the origin of the injury might go back to his days as a college player at University of Iowa.
He missed 21 games in the 2000-01 season because of prostate cancer. He left for two games the following season when his wife fought breast cancer.
