Orlando Magic Daily
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5 games NBATV is missing from Sunday’s Orlando Magic Day

By Philip Rossman-Reich

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - 1993: Shaquille O'Neal #32 of the Orlando Magic goes up for a slam dunk against the New Jersey Nets during an NBA game at the Brendan Byrne Arena circa 1993 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - 1993: Shaquille O'Neal #32 of the Orlando Magic goes up for a slam dunk against the New Jersey Nets during an NBA game at the Brendan Byrne Arena circa 1993 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1993 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Scott Skiles‘ assist record

It is easy to market and to advertise the Orlando Magic’s Mount Rushmore of players. Tracy McGrady, Dwight Howard, Anfernee Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal. Their games dominate the list of all-time great Magic games and fill the NBATV schedule completely for Sunday.

But there are plenty of deep cuts they could choose from too.

Darrell Armstrong’s game-winning steal against the Philadelphia 76ers in 1999 marks a great finish to an ugly game (in an ugly season). Otis Smith had a game-winning basket against Michael Jordan at the height of his powers in the Magic’s inaugural season. Jordan dropped 52 points in that game.

Dennis Scott set what was then a 3-pointer record with eight makes against the Atlanta Hawks.

But the best deep cut for the Magic’s non-iconic players certainly belongs to Scott Skiles, whose 30 assists in a single game were part of an extremely entertaining game against a quirky Denver Nuggets team. It is a record that may be difficult to match, even in a league that seems to be full of offense.

That might be a product of the Nuggets who ran a constant fast break and were shooting more shots than teams even do now. That Nuggets team would be more at home in the modern NBA than in the early 1990s. Even with their poor defense.

Skiles took advantage of that throughout the night. He finished with 22 points in addition to those 30 assists. And they were hunting for that last assist to get the record.

Ever modest, Skiles did not revel in his accomplishment after the game. Nor did he reminisce about it on the 25th anniversary when he was the Magic’s coach. He credited his teammates for making shots.

Skiles was always a no-nonsense person. But who could complain about watching a game that finished 155-116? Definitely a game worth rewatching over and over again.