Chron: Jeered McGrady exhibits talent for clearing a room

Jeered McGrady exhibits talent for clearing a room
Rocket scores 27 points, prompts Orlando faithful to file out early
By FRAN BLINEBURY
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
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NBA:
Houston
at Orlando
(Thu., 7:00)
AUDIO: Chronicle columnist John P. Lopez: Rockets, McGrady step up against Magic, Francis


COMING UP
Friday:
at New York, 6:30 p.m.
TV/Radio:
Listings; KILT (610 AM)

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ORLANDO, FLA. - In the end, it was the fans of the Orlando Magic who turned their backs on Tracy McGrady.


Because they simply couldn't bear to watch him beat their team.

They came to rain boos on his head, but they couldn't stop him from pouring in 27 points.

They came to jeer and taunt the one-time favorite son who grew up just 30 miles down the road in Auburndale, Fla., yet McGrady had the last laugh in the Rockets' 108-99 win over the Magic on Thursday night.

As McGrady stood at the foul line with 22.4 seconds remaining for two free throws, the sellout crowd of 17,283 that had jammed into the TD Waterhouse Centre to rattle the rafters with noisy displeasure at the player who had demanded a trade filed silently up the aisles and out of the building.

"I loved it," McGrady said. "It was fun, man. I really enjoyed myself. Did you see the way they were leaving before the game was over?

"That's so much of what the game is about. Any time you can come into a building on the road and do that to a crowd, it's the best feeling."


Signs of the times
This wasn't just any crowd. It was the crowd that supported him for four seasons as the leader of the Magic and a two-time NBA scoring champ. It was the passionate swarm that had felt McGrady was disloyal when he asked out after last season's dismal 21-61 record, then admitted in Sports Illustrated he had "slacked off" on some nights.

This was McGrady's first game back in Orlando since the June 29 trade that sent him to Houston along with Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue and Reece Gaines in exchange for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato.

McGrady shot 8-for-21 from the field and added six rebounds and four assists. Francis made eight of 18 shots to finish with 28 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

The boos cascaded down from the upper balcony as McGrady took the floor with the Rockets for warmups. He was booed every time he touched the ball, even in the pregame layup line.

The crowd nearly exploded with anger and derision when the PA announcer called McGrady's name during the introductions.

The messages not delivered by bellowing came in the form of signs throughout the stands:

•Me-Mac: When the going gets tough, I quit.
•McGreedy, when you signed with the Rockets, did they buy quitter's insurance?
•Feel like trying?
The fans felt betrayed. McGrady felt buoyed.

He missed his first shot of the game, a driving layup from the left side, but got his own rebound and dropped in the follow. He went strong to the hoop and slammed a one-handed dunk over Cato midway through the first quarter. He slashed to the basket often, but never tried to take over the game.

Francis and McGrady both denied there was an individual battle within the game. But both played like they had something extra to prove. Adrenaline hung heavy in the air.


Francis has seen worse
"I don't know why they booed him like that," said Francis. "I don't know the background story. I hope that doesn't happen to me when I go back to Houston (on Monday).

"But I've seen worse. The first time I went to Vancouver with the Rockets, they threw batteries and tomatoes and eggs at me. This was nothing."

Nothing, at least, that McGrady couldn't handle. He waved his arms at the crowd after the Rockets built a 17-point lead in the second quarter and grinned as he left the floor at halftime.

When the final buzzer sounded, he hugged ex-teammate Grant Hill, then handed out high-fives to his teammates.

A handful of his family members danced with glee. Down on the court, McGrady gave a smile that was anything but rueful.

"Am I glad it's over?" he asked. "No, man. I wish we could come back and play it again."

After emptying the stands, Tracy McGrady was a man in full.

fran.blinebury@chron.com

 

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3002556