It was a night for the Orlando Magic simply to play basketball, without worries of who's hurt, who's healthy and who's ailing. It was time for the Magic not to ask where they're going or where their dreams went.

Just play the game and play it hard. That was all that was asked of them. That is what they did.

By the time the clock had whittled to 28 seconds Wednesday night, the fans at TD Waterhouse Centre were giving the Magic a standing ovation, players were slapping hands and coaches were clapping in anticipation of victory. When the buzzer sounded, the Magic had a 98-90 victory against the Utah Jazz, putting icing on top of a dirt pile of a week.

"I have to say today I really, really love my job," Magic Coach Doc Rivers said. "With the stuff we've been through the last three or four days, you couldn't ask for more."

The Magic (13-14) were playing for the first time since learning that all-star forward Grant Hill would miss the remainder of another season because of left-ankle surgery. They also were playing for the first time this season without all-star guard Tracy McGrady, who was in Atlanta having a specialist look at his back.

Minutes before his team was to take the court, Rivers gave it a speech focusing on one word: opportunity.

"Every time something happens and you have to start back over, that means opportunity, not an obstacle," Rivers told his team.

And so they went out and played to prove they belong in the NBA. Point guard Darrell Armstrong, reverting back two years to when he was the leader of a team known for its heart and hustle, scored 24 points with nine assists and six rebounds.

Mike Miller enjoyed his role as being the No. 1 option and scored 21 points despite missing 11 of 18 shots. When the Magic needed aging center Patrick Ewing the most, he came through and finished with 11 points in 19 minutes. Pat Garrity scored 16 points off the bench, including several critical baskets during a back-and-forth fourth quarter.

"The worst thing that could've happened tonight is that we hang in there and lose a close game," Garrity said. "Then, you're talking about moral victories. That's not holding us to a higher standard."

Garrity made a 3-pointer with 43.4 seconds remaining to put the Magic ahead 90-86 and essentially seal the victory.

Garrity was a factor earlier. After two layups by Armstrong, he made a 3 to finish a 7-0 run to give the Magic a 66-64 lead after it was looking as though Utah (12-14) might pull away.

Utah's Karl Malone (28 points) and Donyell Marshall (24 points, 20 rebounds) were dominant, but the Magic somehow overcame them. Despite Marshall, the Magic were outrebounded only 44-41.

"Without Tracy and Grant, a lot of people are looking for us to take a downfall," Armstrong said. "That's a good challenge for us, and that's what we do. We don't ever back down from a challenge."