Magic's McGrady Suspended

Orlando's Tracy McGrady was suspended for two games without pay and fined $10,000 Wednesday by the NBA for hitting Sacramento's Bobby Jackson in the face with a ball and fighting with the Kings guard.

Jackson was suspended for one game and fined $7,500. Sacramento's Vlade Divac, Scot Pollard and Art Long were also suspended one game for leaving the Kings' bench during the altercation. They sat out Wednesday night's 114-104 loss at Miami.

McGrady began serving his suspension Wednesday night, but Orlando was able to win without him in a 97-87 victory at Cleveland.

"I was surprised it was two (games)," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "I assumed it would be one. I told Tracy that, too. Obviously, this is not good for our team.

"No one is going to take Tracy's place, but as a group we have to pull together. It's difficult but that's the way it is."

McGrady, who was warned earlier this week by NBA vice president Stu Jackson for commenting about the possibility of Kings free agent Chris Webber playing in Orlando, will also miss the Magic's game Friday against Vancouver.

He will return in time to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

"I'd rather he missed a game that we'd have a chance in," Rivers said. "I'm just being honest."

With McGrady making $9.6 million this season, the suspension will cost him more than $200,000.

The fracas happened in the final seconds of Orlando's 114-108 overtime loss Tuesday night.

The Kings were fined $22,500 - $7,500 for Jackson's involvement and an automatic $5,000 for each player who left the bench area.

"They just crossed the line, literally," Sacramento's Chris Webber said.

"The rules are the rules. Everyone knows about them," Predrag Stojakovic said.

The Magic were fined $10,000 for McGrady's role.

Rivers didn't find out about the suspension until the Magic were about to board their team bus for Gund Arena.

"I don't know what took so long," Rivers said. "When I told Tracy he was surprised."

On Tuesday, the NBA told McGrady that comments he made about Webber could be construed as tampering.

In a story published in te Orlando Sentinel, McGrady said he could entice Webber to sign with the Magic as a free agent after the season.

McGrady was suspended in November for one game for pushing Philadelphia's Eric Snow. But Rivers said he doesn't feel he needs to lecture his star player.

"He's 21," Rivers said. "But I'd like to stack him up against any 21-year-old on the street. He's handled the off-the-court stuff better than any of us suspected."

With Grant Hill out for the year, McGrady has become a target for some teams, Rivers said.

"He gets mauled," Rivers said, "and if I was the other team, I would do the same thing. I think Tracy has done a pretty good job of keeping his cool."

Rivers said one of the officials warned the Magic bench with about nine minutes left that Sacramento was upset and that things could get ugly.

"The sad part is that it marred a terrific game," Rivers said.

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