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New Spur Tracy McGrady just might win a playoff series after all

Veteran forward Tracy McGrady has signed with the San Antonio Spurs for the playoffs.
(Bob Levey / Associated Press)
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Tracy McGrady has never won an NBA playoff series, despite leading the league in scoring twice during a pro career that started back in 1997.

But even though he’s been out of the league completely this season, McGrady will get another chance to pursue that elusive second-round postseason appearance.

San Antonio has signed the 33-year-old forward to add depth and experience for what they hope will be a deep playoff run. The Spurs will finish second in the Western Conference and are 58-23 heading into Wednesday’s regular-season finale against Minnesota.

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“Whatever happens, I’m just glad to be a part of this environment,” McGrady told ESPN via text. “[It’s] something I never experienced while being my best!”

McGrady averaged 25 points and 7.2 rebounds in 29 games for Qingdao of the Chinese Basketball League this season.

Back in 2002-03, he scored a league-best 32.1 points per game for a 42-40 Orlando Magic team that finished eighth in the Eastern Conference and lost a seven-game, first-round playoff series to the Detroit Pistons.

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He was the league’s top scorer again with 28.1 points per game in 2003-04 while playing on a wretched Magic team that managed to win just 21 games.

This will be McGrady’s ninth postseason appearance and one of his best chances to actually win a series ... that is, if the Spurs can avoid the first-round upsets that have sent them home early in two of the last four seasons.

They will face either the Lakers or Houston Rockets when the playoffs start this weekend.

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