This was vintage Patrick Ewing, circa 1994, back when the hopes of an entire franchise rested somewhere within that funny release of his jump shot.

He was quick and decisive in his moves, like a surgeon who had done the same operation a thousand times. He was timely and dominant and, ultimately, the main reason the Magic outlasted the Phoenix Suns 93-92 at America West Arena on Wednesday night.

In a close and entertaining game where victory seemed to hinge on every fourth-quarter play, the 39-year-old Ewing displayed some of the skills that make him an easy pick for the Hall of Fame.

He scored a season-high 22 points, grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds and played a season-high 30 minutes, gaining so much confidence that Coach Doc Rivers ran three consecutive plays for him during the fourth quarter.

"I was," Ewing would say later, "playing my game."

He played his game, not anyone else's. He made it sound like his game rested somewhere higher than the average player's, and for so long, it most certainly did.