"He wasn’t even on fire" - Gilbert Arenas felt Tracy McGrady was far from his best despite dropping a career-high 62 points on his Wizards

Typically, whenever a player touches the 50-point mark in any NBA game, regardless of its significance, he receives widespread acclaim. Coaches, fans, teammates, media analysts, and even opposing team members usually shower praise on such performances, recognizing how the player was virtually unstoppable throughout the game.

Naturally, one would assume that when Tracy McGrady scored his career-high 62 points against the Washington Wizards, the same reaction would be drawn. Yet that was not the case.

Instead, Gilbert Arenas, on the opposing end, recently claimed that T-Mac had lost all his rhythm late in the game. Thus, if that hadn’t happened, McGrady could have at least scored 80 points on that historic night, considering the form he was initially in when he went on a scoring tear.

Arenas was disappointed by T-Mac dropping 62 points on his team

The 2003-04 season was one of those years in the NBA when T-Mac was in contention for the best scorer. Having already led the league in scoring the previous season, he was expected to explode for game-high points in every game, even when his Orlando Magic team was far from competitive.

That narrative came to life when McGrady and his Magic faced the Washington Wizards on March 10, 2004. He dropped a career-high 62 points to lead Orlando to a gritty 108-99 win after the Wizards had lost four of their previous five games.

While Arenas should’ve been frustrated that his 40-point performance went in a losing cause, he couldn’t quite wrap his head around how McGrady failed to capitalize on making his best performance truly historical. For Arenas, given how McGrady shot 73.3 percent from the field and 40 percent from the three-point line in the first half, it was a signal of how he could’ve even surpassed Kobe Bryant’s 81-point performance.

“I remember going back to the locker room and I was like, ‘He wasn’t even on fire,’” Arenas recalled on the latest episode of his ‘Gils Arenas’ show. “He was supposed to have like 80 (or) 90 (points).”

T-Mac did lose his rhythm

As harsh as Gil’s criticism might sound, especially considering McGrady’s fatigue in the final period of play. By the fourth quarter, after carrying such a heavy offensive load, physical wear was inevitable. Still, the numbers suggest that McGrady’s level declined in that stretch.

The seven-time All-Star shot only 1-for-6 from the field in the fourth quarter and missed ten free throw attempts throughout the second half, all while shooting 9-of-22 from the field in the second half.

Safe to say, that opened the door for speculation: had T-Mac converted just a handful more of those opportunities, his final total could have reached uncharted territory – a performance that had sheer perfection for the entirety of the 48 minutes.

That being said, Arenas’ latest admission only reflects a broader truth about how greatness is perceived. The higher a player ascends, the greater the demands become, and no matter how extraordinary the performance, people often expect more.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 12, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

“He wasn’t even on fire” – Gilbert Arenas felt Tracy McGrady was far from his best despite dropping a career-high 62 points on his Wizards

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