Orlando, Fla. ? The Memphis Grizzlies used a zone defense to slow down Tracy McGrady and the Orlando Magic.

The Grizzlies unsuccessfully chased McGrady for a half, then switched defenses to contain him and the rest of the Magic down for the final two periods en route to a 110-104 victory Monday night.

McGrady scored 28 of his 34 points in the first half, hitting 10 of 13 shots from the field and all five of his free throw attempts. The Magic, who lost for the first time in five games, shot 60 percent as a team.

In the second half, however, Memphis threw a floating 2-3 zone at Orlando that clogged up the inside. McGrady hit only one of 10 shots from the field and Orlando shot only 37.5 percent as a team in the second half.

“They were shooting unbelievably in the first half, but we just kind of weathered that storm,” Memphis guard Wesley Person said. “He got a little tired in the second half and we forced other guys to take shots. We gambled and it worked.”

Orlando’s Drew Gooden, a former Kansas University player, sat out his third straight game with a sprained big toe.

The Grizzlies received a balanced effort from their starters, all of whom reached double figures. Pau Gasol led the way with 26 points and eight rebounds, but Jason Williams’ 17 points and 15 assists probably made the difference in the game.

Magic coach Doc Rivers wasn’t sure if the defense was effective or if his team just shot poorly. Orlando was 9-for-30 on three-pointers, after a win in Miami the night before.

“I thought we settled for a lot of jump shots,” Rivers said. “A case can be made that when you play back-to-back it’s easier to take a jumper than take a drive, but that’s not what we should do. Anytime you shoot 30 threes in a game, you should lose.”

McGrady missed his last six three-point attempts and was 3-for-10 from that range for the game. The Magic shot only 37.5 percent in the second half, when they committed 11 of their 17 turnovers.

Orlando's Andrew DeClerc, left, draws a foul from Memphis' Mike Batiste. The Grizzlies defeated the Magic, 110-104, Monday night in Orlando, Fla.

Rockets 108, Clippers 90

Los Angeles — James Posey scored 19 of his 23 points in the first half as Houston breezed past Los Angeles. Houston’s seventh win in 10 games, coupled with Phoenix’s loss to Seattle, gave the Rockets a one-game lead over the Suns for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff berth with 12 games remaining.

Houston shot 55.4 percent from the field and had their highest-scoring first half this season, building a 63-39 lead on the long-range shooting of Posey and Glen Rice and a buzzer-beating 17-footer by Eddie Griffin. The Rockets, who entered the game 17th in the league with a .344 percentage from three-point range, were 12-for-20 from behind the arc.

Mavericks 108, Nuggets 96

Denver — Dirk Nowitzki had 25 points and Nick Van Exel scored 24 against his former team to help Dallas beat Denver, completing its second straight season-series sweep of the Nuggets. Nowitzki overcame a 6-for-23 shooting night by hitting 12 of 12 free throws. Van Exel, who played nearly four seasons with the Nuggets, was soundly booed throughout the game. He made two layups in the final two minutes.

It was the eighth straight win over Denver for the Mavericks, who increased their lead over idle San Antonio to 31¼2 games in the Midwest Division.

Juwan Howard had 25 points and Nene Hilario 23 points for Denver. Rodney White added 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double.

SuperSonics 82, Suns 73

Phoenix — Rashard Lewis scored 25 of his 29 points in the second half as Seattle beat Phoenix, an ugly home loss that could prove costly in the Suns’ fight for the final Western Conference playoff spot. Ray Allen added 22 points for the Sonics, who have won three of four. Reggie Evans grabbed 13 rebounds as Seattle dominated the boards 50-36.

Stephon Marbury had 22 points and 10 assists as the Suns matched their season-low in scoring.

Jazz 96, Celtics 91

Salt Lake City — Matt Harpring scored 25 points and Karl Malone had 19 points and 12 rebounds as Utah extended its winning streak to four games by beating Boston. John Stockton, who turns 41 on Wednesday, added 17 points and eight assists for the Jazz, who are No. 6 in the Western Conference playoff standings with 12 games left in the season.

Utah shot 50 percent in the second half (16-for-32) and held the Celtics to one field goal in the final two minutes.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 24 points and eight rebounds. Antoine Walker added 20 points for Boston, which has lost five straight.

Knicks 100, Raptors 90

New York — Howard Eisley hit two three-pointers as part of an 8-0 run to end the third quarter, putting New York in control for good in a victory against Toronto.

Keeping their slim playoff hopes alive, the Knicks went ahead by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter in sending Toronto to its ninth loss in 10 games.