A 50-50 Proposition for McGrady, Mashburn

The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant has stolen the NBA spotlight by scoring 40 points or more in eight consecutive games, but Orlando’s Tracy McGrady and New Orleans’ Jamal Mashburn made a point of getting some attention of their own Friday night.

McGrady scored a career-high 52 points without playing in the fourth quarter of the Magic’s 110-96 victory over the Chicago Bulls at Orlando, Fla., and Mashburn tied a career high with 50 points in the Hornets’ 125-123 overtime victory over Memphis at New Orleans.

On another occasion when two players scored 50 points in the same night, Bryant and Golden State’s Antawn Jamison both had 51 in the same game on Dec. 6, 2000,

McGrady is the NBA’s leading scorer, holding a slim advantage at 31.1 points per game over Bryant (30.6).

McGrady was 15 for 32 from the field and 16 for 20 from the free-throw line to eclipse the 50 points he scored March 8 against Washington. McGrady’s previous high point total this season was 47 on Nov. 2 at Milwaukee.

Mashburn, meanwhile, reached a franchise-record 50 points by grabbing his own rebound and making a short jumper with one second left in overtime.

Mashburn made 17 of 33 shots and all 12 of his free throws.