Scorer, rebounder, passer. That was the Grant Hill the Orlando Magic thought they were getting two long years ago, and that was who came to play Tuesday night.

Looking nothing like the player last seen limping away on a brittle left ankle, the five-time All-Star had 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds in his first game since last December as the Magic beat the Philadelphia 76ers 95-88 in the first game of the NBA season.

``Physically, I felt good,'' said Hill, who felt spry enough to bound into the stands to save a rebound early in the third quarter. ``Mentally, I was a little rusty. But it was great to get out there, it was good to play.''

Tracy McGrady added 31 points and five assists for the Magic, who have won five straight home openers.

``I thought Hill and Tracy, the last eight minutes, played the two-man game off each other as well as you can play,'' Orlando coach Doc Rivers said. ``They're going to keep getting better.''

Hill showed no effects from the three ankle surgeries that have held him out of all but 18 games over the past two years, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 8-of-9 from the line. Occasionally playing point forward, he turned the ball over three times in 33 minutes.

``Sometimes, I was guarding the big guy; sometimes, I was running the offense,'' Hill said. ``That's how we're going to play. We're not going to have numbered positions, we're just going to play and try to take advantage of matchups''

Keith Van Horn had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead Philadelphia, while Aaron McKie also had 19. Allen Iverson shot 7-of-25, missing his final eight attempts, for 18 points.

``I had great looks at the basket,'' said Iverson, who had two points in the final 16 minutes. ``I just missed a lot of wide-open shots that I can hit with my eyes closed.''

Orlando center Pat Burke -- one of 11 undrafted rookies to make opening night NBA rosters -- led the team's final charge. The 28-year-old from Auburn scored six of his 12 points in the final five minutes as the Magic took an 93-82 lead with 1:58 remaining.

``This is where you know the guy's older than a rookie,'' Rivers said. ``He struggles in the first half, he comes back and stays in the game and makes huge shots down the stretch for us. That's pretty impressive.''

Philadelphia grabbed a nine-point lead midway through the third quarter. Van Horn had six points and Todd MacCulloch four in a 12-3 run that put Orlando down 65-56. Philadelphia acquired both players in an offseason trade with New Jersey in exchange for Dikembe Mutombo.

But the Magic quickly rallied behind some defense. Forcing six turnovers and 3-for-10 shooting over the quarter's last six minutes, Orlando seized a 74-73 lead entering the final period.

The Magic held Philadelphia to 35 percent shooting (18-for-52) after the first quarter and scored 25 points off 20 turnovers. Also, the Sixers finished with 19 assists after recording 10 in the opening period.

``I know we're trying to win, but we need to learn how to win helping each other,'' Philadelphia coach Larry Brown said. ``We shot so many times without any opportunity to control the tempo or get other people open.''

The Sixers dominated the paint early. Twelve of Philadelphia's 13 first-quarter baskets came from inside, and the Sixers' new front line of MacCulloch and Van Horn combined for 15 points.

The Magic's interior defense took another hit at halftime as Horace Grant, still recovering from offseason surgery, was sidelined with a sore left knee.

The opening quarter left both teams in stitches. Iverson cut his chin when he ran into Pat Garrity's elbow late in the first quarter. Garrity and Shawn Kemp collided moments later, both suffering small gashes to their heads.

Game notes

Orlando improved its record in season openers to 8-6, while Philadelphia fell to 27-13. ... Philadelphia was without forwards Derrick Coleman (recovering from left knee surgery) and Greg Buckner (right knee strain). ... This was the Sixers' fifth straight season they have started on the road. ... The announced attendance was 15,225, more than 2,000 short of a full house. Orlando hasn't sold out a home opener since the beginning of the lockout-shortened season of 1999. ... Before the game, Orlando general manager John Gabriel told the crowd that the team is ``committed to winning right now.'' It was a stark difference from last season, when the team's obvious unhappiness with negotiations for a new arena culminated in a January announcement that the franchise was up for sale. But two months later, owner Rich DeVos changed his mind and pulled the Magic off the market.

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