[Recap] Mobley's 34 points provide great relief
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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.
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