2001–02 Orlando Magic season

The 2001–02 Orlando Magic season was the 13th season for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association.^[1] During the off-season, the Magic signed free agent All-Star center Patrick Ewing to their roster,^[2][3][4] and re-signed former Magic forward Horace Grant to further strengthen the team's depth.^[5][6][7] Early into the regular season in November, the team traded Bo Outlaw to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Jud Buechler in a three-team trade.^[8][9][10]

With the addition of Grant and Ewing, the Magic played around .500 in winning percentage with a 25–24 record at the All-Star break.^[11] However, Grant Hill only played just 14 games this season, averaging 16.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, as he had to get more surgery on his bad ankle.^[12][13][14] Despite Hill's injury, the Magic posted a six-game winning streak in March, and finished in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 44–38 record, which earned them the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.^[15]

Tracy McGrady had another stellar season, averaging 25.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game, along with 103 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA First Team. In addition, second-year star Mike Miller averaged 15.2 points per game and contributed 116 three-point field goals, while Darrell Armstrong provided the team with 12.4 points, 5.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game, along with 139 three-point field goals, Troy Hudson contributed 11.7 points and 3.1 assists per game, and Pat Garrity provided with 11.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and led the Magic with 169 three-point field goals. Meanwhile, Grant averaged 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, Monty Williams contributed 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, and Ewing provided with 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.^[16]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McGrady was selected for the 2002 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team.^[17][18][19] Meanwhile, Miller participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout,^[20][21] and was also selected for the NBA Rookie Challenge Game, as a member of the Sophomores team.^[22][23] McGrady also finished in fourth place in Most Valuable Player voting with 7 first-place votes.^[24]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2002 NBA playoffs, the Magic faced off against the 4th–seeded Charlotte Hornets, who were led by the trio of Jamal Mashburn, David Wesley, and All-Star guard Baron Davis. Despite both teams finishing with the same regular-season record, the Hornets had home-court advantage in the series. The Magic lost Game 1 to the Hornets on the road, 80–79 at the Charlotte Coliseum, but managed to win Game 2 on the road in overtime, 111–103 to even the series.^[25][26] However, the Magic lost the next two games at home, which included a Game 4 loss to the Hornets at the TD Waterhouse Centre, 102–85, thus losing the series in four games.^[27][28][29]

The Magic finished 22nd in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 621,121 at the TD Waterhouse Centre during the regular season.^[16][30] Following the season, Ewing retired after seventeen seasons in the NBA, and would take a job as an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards,^[31][32][33] while Hudson signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Timberwolves,^[34][35] Williams signed with the Philadelphia 76ers,^[36][37] and Buechler and Dee Brown both retired.