NBA Greatest Duels: Allen Iverson vs Tracy McGrady (2002)

Without one of their best defensive
players, the Philadelphia 76ers could not stop Tracy McGrady.
McGrady recorded his first career triple-double and Mike Miller
scored 25 points as the Orlando Magic rolled to a 105-87 rout of
the 76ers.
Playing only the first three quarters, McGrady finished with 22
points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Behind their superstar, the
Magic built a commanding 82-60 lead entering the final period.
"I knew I was close at halftime," McGrady said. "Pass the ball,
guys knocking down shots, rebound here and there, I knew I was
close. They told me I needed two more rebounds, two more
assists, that was the only thing I was concerned with. I didn't
care about scoring no more. I was trying to get some more
assists, some more rebounds and get myself my first career
triple-double."
The 6-9 McGrady did most of his damage against the much slower
Matt Harpring and also was matched against the smaller Eric Snow
at times.
The Sixers also opted to run various double-teams at McGrady.
But he made them pay by kicking the ball out to teammates, who
went 12-of-26 from 3-point range. McGrady was 2-of-6 from the
arc.
"When these guys knock down shots, it just makes my job a lot
easier," McGrady said. "We were having fun out there."
"Until we learn how to defend the pick-and-roll ... defend a
team that spreads it out ... they will keep doing what they're
doing," Snow said. "They have done the same thing five straight
times and we haven't done anything to change it on the court.
That is why they have arguably the best shooting in the league,
getting wide open shots. It doesn't make any sense."
Aaron McKie, one of the Sixers' best on-the-ball defenders,
probably would have drawn the assignment on McGrady but he
missed the contest with a left foot injury.
McKie did face McGrady last month in Philadelphia, but without
much success. McGrady finished that contest with 26 points, 10
rebounds and eight assists in Orlando's 102-91 victory. In that
contest, McGrady also faced double teams and the Magic went
10-of-19 from the arc.
Allen Iverson scored 32 points for Philadelphia, which fell back
to the .500 mark (27-27) and lost to the Magic for the fifth
straight time.
"I don't think we had any effort as a team," Iverson said. "He
(coach Larry Brown) felt mine and Eric's was good, but as a
whole team concept it wasn't. It is a team game. The hustle just
wasn't there."
Brown agreed with Iverson's sentiment.
"All our guys didn't match their effort," he said. "I grabbed
Allen and Eric and told them I was proud of them, but there was
a lot of guys I wasn't proud of in terms of effort tonight. I
mean you're gonna have bad games, and we were shorthanded. But I
don't think we had everyone competing and that's a
disappointment."
In addition to playing without McKie, the Sixers also were
without forward Derrick Coleman, who was sick. He missed the
previous two games with a suspension.
Orlando took full advantage of the shorthanded Sixers, building
a 38-24 advantage less than four minutes into the second quarter
on a 21-footer by McGrady, who went 8-of-20 from the field.
Iverson, the NBA's leading scorer, tried to keep his team in it.
The electrifying guard scored eight points in a 14-8 spurt that
brought Philadelphia within 46-38 with 2:59 left in the half.
Iverson was basically all of the Sixers' offense, going 11-of-30
from the field and making 8-of-10 foul shots. The rest of his
teammates were 30-of-54 from the floor.
While Orlando was bombing away from 3-point range, the Sixers
went just 2-of-4 from the arc.
Despite getting back in it, the Sixers were done in right before
the half when Orlando scored 10 of the final 12 points to open a
56-40 cushion. McGrady and Darrell Armstrong each drained a
3-pointer in the burst.
Armstrong finished with 15 points for the Magic, who shot 45.5
percent (40-of-88) and held a 48-40 rebounding advantage.
Miller, who scored 14 points in the half, was the main
benficiary of McGrady's passes as he went 5-of-8 from beyond the
arc. The reigning Rookie of Year also was active inside as he
matched a career high with 11 rebounds.
"I just went to the boards," Miller said. "You've got to do it
sometimes and tonight I did. Guys needed to help on the rebounds
because Matt Harpring goes to the glass hard and that's who I
was guarding. So I had to make sure I attacked them, make sure
he didn't get as many."
The Magic controlled things the entire second half, leading by
at least 12 points the entire way.
Orlando held a 22-point lead entering the final quarter and took
its biggest lead of the contest at 91-61 on 3-pointer by Jud
Buechler with 9:52 remaining.

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