Philadelphia — Tracy McGrady thought he would have a lot more company on his winning drive to the hoop.
McGrady, who matched a career-high with 44 points, took an inbounds pass at halfcourt, drove and banked a shot high off the glass with 2.7 seconds as Orlando held off a frenzied comeback by Philadelphia and beat the 76ers, 96-95, Wednesday night.
Philadelphia's Allen Iverson drives around Orlando's Darrell Armstrong. The Magic defeated the 76ers, 96-95, Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
"I had a good running start and definitely had my man beat," said McGrady, who shot 18-for-35 from the field. "It was a shot I had to make. After I got by my man, I thought somebody would be there to meet me. I got it up high on the backboard because I thought someone would be coming."
Philadelphia coach Larry Brown wasn't shocked by McGrady's play, even though the Sixers didn't look ready for it.
"Tracy made a great play but I could kick myself because I kind of figured he would penetrate," Brown said.
A desperation heave by Allen Iverson fell short for Philadelphia, which lost for the sixth time in seven games. Iverson, battling bronchitis, finished with 37 points and 10 turnovers. His three-point play with 7.6 seconds remaining gave the Sixers a 95-94 lead.
Darrell Armstrong had 14 points and Mike Miller added 13 points for the Magic, who forced the Sixers into a season-high 27 turnovers and won their second straight.
Eric Snow scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter and added 10 assists. Jumaine Jones had 13 points and Tyrone Hill finished with 17 rebounds for Philadelphia, which outrebounded Orlando 56-40. Matt Geiger had 11 points and eight rebounds.
Orlando led by as many as 12 points in the fourth quarter and was ahead 90-79 with 3:47 left. The 76ers went on a 13-4 run, closing within two points at 94-92 when Snow, who scored eight points in the outburst, hit a pair of free throws with 1:07 remaining.
"We tried to give it away at the end but couldn't do it," Magic coach Doc Rivers said.
The Magic scored 24 of the last 30 points in the third period and outscored the Sixers 30-10, opening a 73-63 lead by the end of the quarter. McGrady had 11 points in the outburst, which came in the final eight minutes of the quarter.
"The third quarter was a disaster," Brown said.
Kings 108, Lakers 84
Los Angeles Chris Webber had 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Peja Stojakovic scored seven of his 22 points in the first 31/2 minutes of the fourth quarter as Sacramento beat Los Angeles. By handing the Lakers their most one-sided loss at home this season, the Pacific Division-leading Kings extended their lead over the defending NBA champions to two games. Sacramento has 12 games left, Los Angeles has 10.
The win also snapped the Kings' six-game regular-season losing streak to the Lakers, including three this season, the most recent an 84-72 loss Sunday in Sacramento.
Nets 99, Nuggets 96
East Rutherford, N.J. Keith Van Horn scored 25 points as New Jersey beat Denver, just hours after learning that All-Star guard Stephon Marbury would be lost for the season because of a ruptured tendon in his left pinkie. Lucious Harris added 21 points, recently signed Doug Overton had 17 and Johnny Newman hit two free throws with 6.6 seconds to play and blocked a last-second three-pointer by James Posey to protect the win and keep the Nets mathematically alive in the playoff race.
Antonio McDyess had 20 points and 16 rebounds for Denver. Raef LaFrentz added 18 points and 13 rebounds, but missed two free throws with 8.3 seconds left and the Nuggets trailing 97-96.
Trailing 96-85 with 3:06 to play, Denver went on an 11-1 run that was sparked by Robert Pack, who had a season-high 15 assists. Pack scored five points in the outburst and fed McDyess for a slam with 36 seconds to play to get the Nuggets within a point.
SuperSonics 94, Timberwolves 93
Seattle Ruben Patterson sank two free throws and soared from the side to block Kevin Garnett's shot in the last 32 seconds as Seattle beat Minnesota. The victory snapped Minnesota's four-game winning streak and kept Seattle's slim playoff hopes alive.
Patterson finished with 19 points and Patrick Ewing scored a season-high 19 to go with 10 rebounds. Garnett finished with 21 for Minnesota, but he was held to four in the final quarter under Ewing's guard.
Suns 103, Cavaliers 94
Phoenix Jason Kidd scored 29 points as Phoenix defeated Cleveland, extending its winning streak to five games. Tony Delk added 22 points for the Suns. Kidd, averaging 24 points during the winning streak, also had 10 assists. Andre Miller scored 22 points and Matt Harpring added 19 for the Cavaliers, who lost for the 13th time in 17 games.
Mavericks 94, Trail Blazers 84
Portland, Ore. Juwan Howard scored 24 points and Michael Finley added 23 as Dallas set a franchise record with its 21st road victory. Dirk Nowitzki added 19 points and 14 rebounds, and hit consecutive three-pointers during a 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter that put the game away. Arvydas Sabonis scored 19 points and Scottie Pippen had 10 assists for the Blazers, who had won three in a row.
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