ORLANDO - Grant Hill's game is back because his pain is gone.
Hill scored 32 points, his most in 41/2 years, and Steve Francis had 33 points and 11 assists, both season highs, to lead the Magic over the Jazz 107-92 on Wednesday night.
Ankle injuries sidelined Hill after he signed with Orlando before the 2000-01 season, limiting him to 47 games in four years. Now, though, he appears to be back at full strength.
"I feel like I'm continuing to get better every day at practice and every game, and just really kind of showing my teammates what I can do," said Hill, who has declared this comeback his last. "And doing it, hopefully, day in and day out."
Hill put together a vintage performance against the Jazz - shaking and baking before a fadeaway, the stop-pop-and-drop jumper, driving for a dunk or a dish. Playing a season-high 41 minutes, Hill added five rebounds and five assists.
"He was just tremendous," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "He's always been a great player - knows how to play and doesn't overdo anything. To see him healthy, I'm happy for him."
Mostly firing jumpers over Andrei Kirilenko, usually a dependable defensive stopper, Hill shot 13-for-18 in his best offensive performance since scoring 36 points against Minnesota on April 10, 2000.
Hill remembers that game - he was still with the Pistons, and the stress fracture in his left ankle was badly flaring up.
But if he was in such pain, how was he able to play so well?
"Because I was good, man," replied a proud Hill.
This was Orlando's fourth win over a Western Conference team, matching its total from last year. Also, the Magic are undefeated in four home dates; last year, they won 11 games at home.
"You have to be a good team at home. It starts there," coach Johnny Davis said. Orlando rookie Dwight Howard grabbed 11 rebounds, giving him double figures in his first eight games. That's the longest streak to begin an NBA career since Orlando's Shaquille O'Neal went 12 games with at least 10 rebounds.
PACERS 93, HAWKS 86: Jermaine O'Neal's big game spoiled an otherwise happy homecoming for his good friend Al Harrington. O'Neal had 25 points and 13 rebounds to offset a dazzling performance by Harrington in the host Pacers' win. Harrington, who spent his first six seasons in Indiana before being traded in the offseason, scored 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting in his first game against his former team.
PISTONS 93, WOLVES 85: Chauncey Billups scored 15 of his 21 points in the third quarter and the revitalized Pistons rallied to win at home. Billups, Ben Wallace and coach Larry Brown returned to the Pistons after absences. Billups missed the Pistons' previous game - a loss in Utah - with a sprained ankle. Wallace was out two games because of a death in his family. Brown missed five games, including three losses, with a hip problem.
WIZARDS 110, CELTICS 105 (OT): Antawn Jamison scored 27 points, Gilbert Arenas had 25, and the host Wizards shut out the Celtics for the first 4:47 of overtime. Jared Jeffries added a career-high 15 points in his first start of the season. He also blocked a jumper by Paul Pierce in overtime and drew a crucial charge on Pierce in OT. Pierce led the Celtics with a season-high 37 points, but he didn't score in overtime until a 3-pointer in the final 10 seconds.
SUNS 95, HORNETS 84: Amare Stoudemire scored a career-high 38 points, leading the visiting Suns over the winless Hornets. The Hornets attempted only two foul shots, tying an NBA low and breaking the team mark they set in Milwaukee on Saturday night when they took only three free throws. Stoudemire shot 16 more free throws than the entire New Orleans team.
SONICS 79, NETS 68: In a sloppy game that featured poor shooting and careless ballhandling, visiting Seattle was still good enough to get past the league's worst offensive team. Despite starting the first half 0-for-10 and the second half 0-for-8, the Sonics got some timely offense from Rashard Lewis and improved the NBA's best record to 8-1.
Late Tuesday
SUNS 107, MAVERICKS 101: Steve Nash had 17 points and a season-best 18 assists - many setting up Amare Stoudamire's 34 points - to lead visiting Phoenix.
SPURS 99, KNICKS 81: Tim Duncan had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and began a key third-quarter burst for host San Antonio. Tony Parker added 18 for the Spurs.
KINGS 113, BULLS 106: Peja Stojakovic scored 29 points, Mike Bibby added 27 and host Sacramento kept Chicago winless.
CLIPPERS 101, RAPTORS 89: Marko Jaric had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to lead host Los Angeles. Toronto has lost three straight and four of five.
Around the league
ANTHONY CHARGE DROPPED: Prosecutors dropped a marijuana possession charge against Carmelo Anthony, saying it would be tough to get a conviction after a friend claimed the drug was his, not Anthony's. Anthony was charged with possessing less than 1 ounce of marijuana on Oct. 15 after a bag with the drug was found in his backpack as the team waited to board a flight to Milwaukee for a preseason game. Anthony said the drug belonged to a friend, James Cunningham. Cunningham signed an affidavit saying it was his.
BUCKS: Forward Toni Kukoc went on the injured list with a right hip strain. Guard Mike James, signed as a free agent in the offseason, was activated after missing the first five games with a left rib injury.
CAVALIERS: Guard Dajuan Wagner was activated from the injured list after missing the first seven games with a sprained right ankle. Forward Anderson Varejao went on the injured list with knee tendinitis.
HORNETS: Guard Baron Davis will miss at least five games after being put on the injured list because of an inflamed disc in his lower back. Davis hurt his back last week in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Hawks. Guard Tim Pickett, a second-round draft pick from FSU, was activated but miss Wednesday's game because of the flu.
WARRIORS: Guard Mickael Pietrus has been cleared to practice after recovering from left shoulder surgery, and he will probably play Saturday against Memphis.
