Even during their run to the NBA Finals last season, when the Philadelphia 76ers had bodies like George Lynch and Tyrone Hill to run at Tracy McGrady, they still had major trouble guarding the Orlando Magic's oversized top scoring guard.

Sunday, the already shorthanded Sixers learned about an hour before tip-off that forward Matt Harpring would miss his first game of the season with the flu. That left them to defend the 6-foot-8 McGrady with the likes of 6-3 Eric Snow and subs such as Corie Blount and 115-year-old Derrick McKey in a makeshift zone that, at best, left others wide open.

Big matchup problem, right?

Well, not really.

Orlando won the nationally televised St. Patrick's Day special, 105-103, in front of 20,899 fans at the First Union Center, but not before squandering a fourth-quarter lead and then having to scramble in the last minute to convert on its last two possessions.

Pat Garrity, a Notre Dame lad no less, nailed the last five points on crucial assists from McGrady, who despite the name, comes from roots that are something other than Irish.

The Magic trailed, 101-100, when McGrady swung the ball out of a double team to Garrity, who had nobody near him as he caught and shot a go-ahead 3-pointer with 53 seconds to go.

After two free throws by Blount knotted the contest at 103, McGrady did the same thing. Garrity again converted, this time from just inside the foul line, to give Orlando (36-30) the lead for good.

Still, with 16.9 seconds to go, the Sixers (34-31) had a chance. They didn't convert.

A miss by Allen Iverson and an offensive rebound by Blount was followed by a jumper from the left wing by Snow that clanged off the other side of the rim while McKey and Horace Grant tumbled to the floor to chase the rebound as time expired.

Grant's teammates jumped on him in an impromptu victory celebration.

"The Irishmen on St. Patrick's Day were terrific," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "It's funny, on that last play. Tracy creates and kicks, Pat Garrity puts the ball on the floor and that scares the hell out of me right there."

The whole play was improvised, according to McGrady, who believes his decision-making is made a whole lot easier by the variety of complementary offensive firepower on the floor at the same time.

"Pat Garrity can shoot the ball, Horace Grant can shoot the ball," McGrady said, "so I just find those guys. It kind of hurts (the Sixers) a little bit. . . . That's why I have the ball in my hands (at the end), because I make the best decisions for the team, not for myself. My guys are sitting back there wide open. That's what happened tonight."

McGrady recovered from an awful first half in which he missed seven of 10 field goal attempts and five of nine free throws to finish with 29 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds. Garrity added 18 points, mostly on the strength of his 4-for-7 performance from behind the arc, and reserve guard Troy Hudson continued to be a force off the bench, contributing 19 points in 26 minutes.

Their energetic play helped overcome one of the best all-around efforts league MVP Allen Iverson has produced this season. Iverson finished with 39 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and three steals.

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SEASON SERIES

The Orlando Magic's 105-103 win over the Philadelphia 76ers Sunday was worth much more than a game in the Eastern Conference standings. It also clinched the playoff tiebreaker with the Sixers, should the teams wind up tied.

Orlando has beaten Philadelphia all three contests this season, with just one remaining.

"It was a big win for us and it was big for them, too, obviously," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "We're fighting everyone in the East. Every win right now is great. I told our guys we might be exhausted by playoff time, just fighting to get in.

"But it really was a nice character win for us today."

HUDSON'S HEROICS

Magic guard Tracy McGrady was named the Eastern Conference's Player of the Month for February. Now reserve guard Troy Hudson is making a strong push for Player of the Week.

After producing 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field in Sunday's win, Hudson is averaging a very efficient 25.7 points over his last three games. He has connected on 32 of 49 total field-goal attempts while playing an average of just 30 minutes per game.

ALSO

McGrady's 13 assists against the Sixers were a career high. His previous best was 11, which he achieved twice.

-- The Magic have won their last six games over the Sixers.

-- Pat Garrity, who converted four of seven 3-point attempts for Orlando on Sunday, is 41-for-82 from behind the arc since the All-Star break. He is 130-for-310 for the season.

-- Orlando now is 32-7 this season when leading after three quarters.

-- The Magic shot 41-for-77 against the Sixers, thanks to the fast tempo they set early. "If we try to play their (halfcourt) game, they'll kill us with their size," Rivers said.

Via Daytona News-Journal

Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers

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