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The Orlando Magic will begin their playoff run on Tuesday as they tip things off against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World.
The Magic have not won a playoff series since reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010. This will be the second-ever meeting between the Magic and Bucks in the NBA Playoffs.
During the 2000-01 season, the Magic and Bucks met in the first round. That was star Tracy McGrady’s first season in Orlando. Milwaukee, at the time, was led by the three-headed monster of Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell.
We take a trip down memory lane to look back on that match-up:
Game 1: (7) Orlando 90, (2) Milwaukee 103
April 22, 2001
The Orlando Magic never led in the second half, but hung tough throughout. Orlando got as close as three in the final quarter and four with just over two minutes to play, but the Bucks closed the game on a 9-0 run.
McGrady scored a game-high 33 points, but on just 12-for-34 shooting. Scott Williams led six Bucks in double figures with 19 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Pat Garrity added 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting for Orlando in the loss.
Game 2: (7) Orlando 96, (2) Milwaukee 103
April 25, 2001
Much like Game 1, the Magic fought hard throughout the contest, but just couldn’t get over the hump. A Garrity three-pointer with less than eight minutes to go drew the Magic to within three, but Milwaukee answered with a 6-0 run. From there, the contest was never closer than five. Milwaukee shot 6-for-11 from beyond the arc while the Magic shot 46 percent from the field in the loss.
McGrady led five Magic players in double figures with 35 points and seven assists. Bo Outlaw tallied 17 points in the defeat. Ray Allen paced Milwaukee with 27 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Cassell added 26 points in the loss.
Game 3: (2) Milwaukee 116, (7) Orlando 121 – Overtime
April 28, 2001
McGrady’s 42 points and 10 assists were enough for the Magic to stave off elimination. Orlando led by as many as 14 in the final quarter, but Robinson’s jumper with 15 seconds remaining capped a 21-6 run for the Bucks and gave Milwaukee a 108-107 lead. On the other end, McGrady was able to get to the rim and convert a three-point play. Ray Allen’s dunk, followed by a Mike Miller miss forced overtime.
Trailing 114-113 with less than three minutes to play in the extra period, McGrady scored four points during a 6-0 run for Orlando and the Magic never looked back. In addition to McGrady’s big night, Darrell Armstrong and Garrity added 18 and 16 points, respectively. Allen led the Bucks with 27 points, six assists and three steals. Cassell tallied 21 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.
Game 4: (2) Milwaukee 112, (7) Orlando 104
May 1, 2001
Despite a strong start, the Magic were unable to force the series back to Milwaukee. Orlando led by as many as 16 early in the second quarter, but the Bucks crawled to within four at the break and used a 40-point third quarter to seize control of the contest. Down 10 to start the period, the Magic never got closer than seven in the final quarter.
McGrady led the Magic with 25 points and eight assists. Miller added 22 points in the loss. Allen paced Milwaukee with 26 points while Cassell tallied 25 as the Bucks would go on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Milwaukee reached the Eastern Conference Finals that season before falling to the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games.