Tracy McGrady wants his doubters to know that he still has it. McGrady took to Instagram recently to recreate his iconic sequence from Dec. 2004, when he scored 13 points in 35 seconds against the San Antonio Spurs.
It wasn’t quite as impressive as the original, but I’ll let that slide. The now 45-year-old McGrady was at his devastating best on that night nearly 20 years ago and that display will forever be remembered as one of the greatest in NBA history.
The game seemed all but over when Devin Brown’s free throws put the Spurs up 76-68 on the Houston Rockets with 44.2 seconds remaining. Many fans exited the arena in Houston as there appeared to be no chance that the Rockets could turn things around.
Then, we witnessed a McGrady masterpiece. He drilled a three-pointer with 35 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 76-71. Brown then hit two more free throws to put the Spurs up 78-71 but McGrady answered with a four-point play by drawing a foul on Tim Duncan, of all people.
Duncan somewhat made amends by hitting two free throws next, only for McGrady to sink another three-pointer on the next play to make it a one-possession game. Still, the Spurs were up 80-78 with 11.2 seconds remaining and had the ball, so they had the upper hand.
All they had to do was hold on to the ball and hit some free throws, but Brown stumbled and lost it. McGrady grabbed the ball, went the other way, and drilled another three to put the Rockets up 81-80 with 1.7 seconds remaining.
The Spurs had no timeouts and Tony Parker’s desperation shot missed, as the Rockets pulled off the unlikeliest of wins. Thanks to that late outburst, McGrady finished the game with 33 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 steals.
What made this performance even more special was the team that he did it against. The Spurs were the best defensive team in the NBA in 2004-05, with a defensive rating of 93.1, and went on to win the championship too. For McGrady to tear them apart, the way he did was ever so special.
Tracy McGrady Spoke On That Iconic Performance
McGrady had many special moments in his career. He was a seven-time All-Star and won two scoring titles, but this is what he will always be remembered for. McGrady revealed they even have a day for him in China for it.
“I think they do, man,” Tracy McGrady said about people talking about that performance. “Every year, ESPN, the NBA, they put it out there. In China, they have a day for me. They have a day for me in China for that. It’s pretty amazing, so I appreciate that.
“Man, you know, one thing about great players is just the unknown… You don’t know if you’re going to have moments like that… Going back to that game, I was struggling in the beginning. So I was struggling shooting the ball throughout the game. But that last minute of the game, something just clicked. It was just the will to take over.
“Once I hit that first three and that second three, it was a four-point play, I knew it was over… To get Tim Duncan up off his feet, to land on me, and I still get the shot off and it goes in? Ah, sh*t, it’s destiny for us to win this game. If you go back and look at the last play, when they threw the ball into their player, he tripped and fell. No one touched it, and the ball rolls to me. Basketball Gods is talking tonight. So I’m dribbling the ball, head down, get to my spot, pop. Game over.”
I suppose Yao Ming being his teammate played a part in McGrady having a day in his honor. He had indeed struggled with his shot but got going when it mattered most. McGrady was 8-25 from the field before that eruption and it’s incredible that he hit four threes in a row after that.
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