McGrady scored 26 points and forced Jordan into an awful shooting game as the Orlando Magic snapped a three-game losing streak with a 96-87 victory over the Washington Wizards.
"It's nice because you're seeing the greatest player to ever play the game playing against a guy who, if he matures and keeps growing, has a chance to be the greatest of right now," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "That's neat to watch. The thing I loved about it was Tracy wanted it. He wasn't intimidated by it, he almost embraced it."
 Washington's Chris Whitney cannot stop Orlando's Darrell Armstrong. Mitchell Layton NBAE/Getty Images |
McGrady had played against Jordan before -- in 1997-98, when he was a teenage rookie for Toronto and Jordan was leading Chicago to its sixth NBA title in eight years. He admitted he was intimidated at that time, but that is no longer the case as he has emerged into one of the game's best young stars, while Jordan has returned after a three-year hiatus.
"I just feel like I've matured over the years," McGrady said. "I'm just becoming a much better basketball player, having a lot more knowledge for the game than when I first faced him when I was 18 years old. So I'm learning, still growing."
"I think Tracy was really excited," Rivers added. "It wasn't a matter of trying to go at Mike, but more like, `Damn, I got a chance to play against Michael, I thought I had missed my chance.'"
The 6-8 McGrady was too big and too quick for Jordan on both ends of the court. He made 10-of-20 shots, swept eight rebounds and blocked one of Jordan's patented turnaround jumpers in the fourth quarter.
"My thing was just to stay on the ground because he does a lot of pump-faking," McGrady said. "So I just stayed on my feet and when he shot, I was timing it and making it tough on his jump shot -- just contesting every shot as well as possible."
Meanwhile, Jordan struggled to 15 points on 6-of-19 shooting. The 38-year-old missed nine of his last 10 shots and sat down for good with 3:50 to play.
"He looks good," McGrady said. "He has a lot of veteran's tricks out on the basketball court. To be 38, yeah, he definitely looks good. Don't ever underestimate that guy."
Jordan will travel to Chicago on Sunday to have his aching knees examined. He hyperextended his right knee in training camp and still has not recovered.
"I'm going to go see Dr. Heffron and make sure it's nothing other than tendinitis and some swelling," Jordan said after the game. "I got poked in the eye and my knee's a little sore. Is that why he (McGrady) took it easy on me?"
Patrick Ewing collected 18 points and 12 rebounds and Darrell Armstrong had a fantastic game with 17 points, 12 assists and eight boards for the Magic, who took the lead for good in the first quarter.
Richard Hamilton scored 21 points for the Wizards, who shot less than 38 percent from the field and had their season-high two-game winning streak snapped. Washington has lost 10 of its last 13 games.
Orlando took the lead for good at 15-13 on a jumper by Horace Grant with 5:45 left in the first quarter. Washington trailed 33-29 with 5:27 remaining in the second period when Jordan was poked in the eye by Armstrong.
Jordan shot an airball before taking a seat and McGrady went to work. He hit a pair of jumpers around two thunderous dunks over 6-10 teenage rookie Kwame Brown -- the player selected first overall by Jordan in the NBA draft -- for a 43-35 lead with 1:51 to go.
Jordan's jumper cut the deficit to 45-39, but Armstrong drilled a jumper and Troy Hudson stole the ensuing inbounds pass and hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for a 50-39 advantage.
With 9:03 left in the third quarter, McGrady took an inadvertent elbow from Christian Laettner and briefly took a seat before returning to take it out on Jordan. He scored 10 points over the next seven minutes to keep the Wizards at bay.
"He has so many moves," McGrady said. "In the first half, he was really getting me because I didn't know what to expect. But once I (felt) him out, it was all about staying on my feet and just timing his shots."
"Obviously, I felt (the knee) on my lift on my shot more than anything, and I did whatever I could to contain him in the second half," Jordan said.
A dunk by Ewing in the final minute of the third quarter gave the Magic a 70-59 lead. The Wizards got no closer than seven points in the final period and four free throws by McGrady built the lead to 83-71 with 6:58 remaining.
Hudson scored 11 points for the Magic, who shot 44 percent (38-of-87). Rookie center Brendan Haywood had 18 points and nine boards for the Wizards.