http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/orl-spt-magicgamer120404 ,1,7059731.story?coll=orl-magic http://tinyurl.com/5uw47 MAGIC 104, KNICKS 98 Mobley's 34 points provide great relief By Brian Schmitz | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted December 4, 2004 NEW YORK -- Cuttino Mobley wants to be an actor when he quits playing basketball. "I want Will Smith parts," he said. After hitting yet another shot Friday night, Mobley spotted actor/director/Knicks fan Spike Lee in the front row, clutched his leg and feigned pain. "Oh my God, Spike! My leg!" he said. "I was just being funny," Mobley said. Mobley turned in quite the performance in the Orlando Magic's 104-98 comeback victory against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the most storied stage in sports. Actress Susan Sarandon was in the audience. But for best portrayal of a guy who was supposed to make only a cameo appearance while recovering from injury, . . . the winner was "Cat" Mobley. He scored a season-high 34 points in 35 minutes, carrying the Magic despite being on a virtual rehabilitation assignment. He stole the show, and the ball late in the game, to lift Orlando (10-5). Mobley was coming off the bench for a second time after missing three weeks with a strained groin. Coach Johnny Davis' plan was to limit his minutes, maybe play him 14 or 15. Mobley played 14 minutes in his return from a nine-game absence Wednesday night. But he gave the Magic's balky offense a needed lift against New York in the second quarter with 12 points, and there was no getting him off the floor. He contributed 13 in the third quarter to allow the Magic to whittle a 14-point deficit to three. "I kept telling Johnny I was ready," Mobley said. "I think he got tired of me and sent me in to shut me up." Then in the final period, Mobley made all kinds of big plays on, ahem, one leg. He scored eight points, hitting six free throws. With 46 seconds left, Stephon Marbury missed two free throws with the Knicks trailing 97-96. Francis missed a jumper with 25 seconds remaining, but Mobley scrambled for the offensive rebound as Orlando retained possession. He passed to Francis, who was fouled and made both free throws for a 99-96 lead with 18 seconds to go. Mobley wasn't through. On the next play, he made his fourth steal of the game, this one on Jamal Crawford's inbounds pass, to seal the night and break the Knicks' six-game home winning streak. "That was awesome," guard DeShawn Stevenson said of Mobley's play. "Cat was en fuego. And to do it here at the Garden, in the mecca of basketball, wow." The mecca witnessed a heckuva game. Much of that was due to the offseason upgrade by the Magic, who lost three of four games to the Knicks last season. Francis added 26 points, Grant Hill 21 and Kelvin Cato had 10 rebounds. The Magic overcame 51 combined points from Crawford and Marbury, who led New York (8-7) with 28. Orlando used a second-half surge to survive a rare night in which it was beaten on the boards (40-36). Rookie Dwight Howard had a season-low three rebounds. With the Magic unable to stop Marbury and Crawford inside or outside, Davis switched to a zone defense, and it worked. Marbury missed nine of 13 shots and Crawford six of nine in the second half. "We were searching at that point," Davis said. Mobley had the hot hand, draining six 3-pointers, and resembling the player he replaced in a summer blockbuster trade: Tracy McGrady. After hitting one, he sauntered by the Garden's celebrity row and chatted up Chris Rock. The only thing slowing Mobley: The yards of athletic tape supporting his groin were unraveling. He and trainer Teddy Arzonico tried to make repairs with the game in progress on the other side of the floor. "Wardrobe malfunction!" shouted a player from the bench. But Mobley kept it together, along with the Magic. -- 湖人版主王小猪 高大又帅气。才气人气兼备。人品球品俱佳。 有挡头搁乒乓叫。 徵辣妹数名。 意者请回我的信箱。 --

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