Now that was something you don't always see.

Sure, the Orlando Magic won at TD Waterhouse Centre for the eighth consecutive time Friday night by whipping the Denver Nuggets 124-102. But that feat, which included another solid all-around performance from Tracy McGrady, was upstaged by the dramatic exit Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway pulled during the third quarter.

Hardaway, who was ejected after a second technical foul, picked up a courtside TV monitor and hurled it a good 40 feet to the floor on his way to the locker room. Darrell Armstrong, whose jawing with Hardaway prompted the first technical foul, retrieved the set and plugged it back in.

Amazingly, the set still worked, and both Hardaway and Armstrong autographed it after the game. The Magic will auction off the TV for charity on the team's Web site.

"That was pretty original," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "I don't know if I've ever seen that."

"I thought that was in honor of A Season on the Brink,' " added Monty Williams, whose run-in with Hardaway with 7:20 to go in the third quarter resulted in the second technical foul. "I didn't think it was going to escalate to that type of an event."

Hardaway had to be restrained by Antonio McDyess and George McCloud to keep him from going after referee Marc Davis at the scorer's table before his grand finale. The NBA no doubt will fine Hardaway and probably suspend him for at least one game.

McGrady, who led all scorers with 30 points, couldn't help but notice Hardaway was scoreless through 17 minutes prior to getting tossed.

"That was a vet move right there," he said. "He didn't want to play."

McGrady had 13 of his points in the first eight minutes and capped his night with a tomahawk dunk in the fourth quarter after driving past Ryan Bowen.

McGrady also had nine assists, seven rebounds and six steals.

The Magic were outrebounded 37-17 through three quarters and finished with 27, just two off the franchise record for the fewest rebounds in a game.

"What can you do?" Rivers said. "It's really nice when you have those types of numbers and still win the game."

Troy Hudson had 24 points and Williams and Pat Garrity both added 18 for the Magic (35-30), who moved a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers for the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference. The two teams meet Sunday at Philadelphia.

Juwan Howard had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets.

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MAN OF THE WORLD?

Tracy McGrady was not one of the three players picked this week to the team that will represent the United States in the world championships this summer in Indianapolis.

But the Magic's leading scorer, who ranks fifth in the NBA with a 25.2-point average, is regarded as a strong candidate for one of the two remaining vacancies and for the 2004 Olympic team.

"I've encouraged it. But I haven't gotten involved in it," coach Doc Rivers said Friday night before the Magic faced the Denver Nuggets. "I think he should do it."

Paul Pierce of Boston, Raef LaFrentz of Dallas and Andre Miller of Cleveland were the most recent additions. LaFrentz began the season with the Nuggets before being sent to the Mavericks just before the trading deadline Feb. 20 in a seven-player deal that brought Juwan Howard, Tim Hardaway and Donnell Harvey to Denver.

CHANGING FACES

The Nuggets entered the game with a 10-25 record under Mike Evans, who became their interim head coach Dec. 26 after Dan Issel resigned.

Aside from George McCloud, Evans had a completely different starting lineup from the one Issel used Nov. 15 in the Nuggets' 101-82 loss to the Magic in Denver. Howard and Hardaway were in Dallas at the time, while Antonio McDyess and Calbert Cheaney were on the injured list.

McDyess, a member of the 2000 Olympic team, had surgery in October to repair the patella tendon in his left knee and didn't make his debut this season until March 1. He has averaged less than 24 minutes a game since his return.

"He seems like he's a good-night, bad-night player until he gets his legs and his rhythm back," Rivers said.

SISTER ACT

Pat Garrity, who made his 29th start at power forward for the Magic in their last 30 games, grew up outside of Denver before attending Notre Dame. His older sister, Colleen, works for the Nuggets as their community relations coordinator.

The only time Garrity has not started since Jan. 7 was when he missed the Magic's loss Feb. 24 at Cleveland because of a right thigh contusion.