Grant Hill won't be able to Stand the Heat

One go-to-guy returned for the Orlando Magic on Sunday night against the Boston Celtics while another go-to-guy remained... Well... A guy.

Grant Hill made a successful return from his rehabilitation from a sports hernia. However, despite that, the Magic still can't buy a victory as they fell to the troubled Celtics, 102-94.

Still, No.33's return definitely is good news.

The forward, who hadn't played since Jan. 15 at Sacramento and was playing in his 12th game this season, came off the bench for just the second time in his 11-year career to score 15 points in 20 minutes.

"I felt fine the whole game," said Hill, whose team has lost eight of its last nine games. "It's just rust and time. I hit some shots, but a couple of times I lost the ball, just little, subtle things. But it was a good day."

Not for the Magic's other go-to guy, Steve Francis.

The Orlando guard turned in his fourth straight lackluster performance, scoring just nine points in 38 minutes. Francis, who continues to be the subject of trade rumors heading toward the NBA's Feb. 23 trading deadline, failed to score a point or notch an assist throughout the first half.

Most discouraging for the Magic was Francis' reluctance to take open shots, leaving the majority of the offensive opportunities to Dwight Howard (24 points) and Hedo Turkoglu (16). Fourteen points of Howard's season-high total came off his 17 trips to the foul line.

"I can't really answer that," said Orlando Coach Brian Hill when asked about Francis' reluctance on the offensive end. "He has passed up a number of shots over the last couple of games. I'm not really sure why."

To Orlando's credit, it managed to remain in the game despite Francis' ineffectiveness. By the time the guard scored his first bucket with 3:32 left in the third quarter, the Magic had drawn even with the Celtics at 66-66.

"I can't remember when I didn't score in a half," said Francis, who has averaged just under eight points per game in Orlando's last four contests.

Head coach Brian Hill will need to find a way to win without Francis, who will probably continue his lackluster game until he gets traded. The Orlando Magic needs Grant Hill now more than ever when they face that other team in Florida, the Miami Heat.