The Orlando Sentinel Staff reports: Orlando Magic forward Grant Hill will sit out tonight's game home game against the Washington Wizards.

The team is currently trying to figure out why chronic tendinitis in his left ankle keeps bothering him.

The team will consult with medical specialists this week to find "a light at the end of the tunnel," general manager John Gabriel said Monday.

"We were hoping that the tendinitis that he experiences we could get under control, which really hasn't happened," Gabriel said. "We want to get the docs re-involved in this, now that we're at home for a while, and see if we can find a remedy or a rhythm to all this to get him back on the court."

Hill already had missed six games before tonight's game, including Saturday's 101-95 victory over the Boston Celtics. He also has played 10 minutes or less in three others.

In 26 games, Hill is averaging 15.6 points on 49.5 percent shooting, with 7.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists. He started Friday against Memphis but played just four minutes. The Magic's next game is Friday at New Orleans.

Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reports that the Magic used some motivational tapes to get ready for last night?s Celtics game. Magic coach Doc Rivers explained that the team listened to tapes of Celtics color commentator Tommy Heinsohn in the locker room before beating the Celtics 101-95.

``I thought our guys had some extra zest going into this game,'' said Rivers, whose club lost to the Celts twice in December. ``They heard a tape of Tommy Heinsohn before our game. I don't know how the tape got into our locker room, but it just did, and basically he belittled every single player on our basketball team.

``I thought our guys took that personal,'' he added. ``Coach his own team or his guys and leave us alone. We'll do our own job. It's good that guys responded with that win.''

Tracy McGrady added, ``(Heinsohn) must think Larry Bird is still playing. When he disrespects us like that, sure it's going to be on our minds.''

Tim Povtak of the Orlando Sentinel reports: Grant Hill will talk via conference call Monday with his team of doctors, who will discuss the option of an extended period of rest to solve the frustrating case of tendinitis in his surgically repaired left ankle.

Hill also will undergo another round of tests on the ankle, which he has been doing every two weeks during this season.

Hill said before the game that he hopes to play monday night against the Washington Wizards but he could instead end up being out for one or two weeks and prehaps even longer.

The good news is that Magic team physician Joe Billings believes that Hill has a case of tendinitis.

According to Billings, none of the recent X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging shows a problem with the anklebone that has been repaired surgically three times.

"Sometimes with tendinitis, you just have to shut it down to calm it down," said Magic team physician Joe Billings.

Grant Hill's ankle was again a factor for the Orlando Magic, who themselves must be questioning whether Hill will ever return to his Pistons form, last night against the Memphis Grizzlies, the star's night restricted to just three minutes and zero points before he'd be forced to leave.

Tracy McGrady was able to keep his sizzling form going, scoring 25 in the first half and 25 in the game, but it was the defense and depth of the young Memphis team which stole the show, the Grizzlies coming back from a 10 point second half deficit to take the game 99-86.

Chris McCosky of the detroit News reports that the Pistons knew Tracy McGrady would give them a battle, but they didn?t expect the officials to do so also. Detroit lost to Orlando 104-99 behind 46 points by McGrady and a 28-9 disadvantage at the free throw line.

McGrady had missed 3 of the last 4 games because of a sore lower back but was able to hit 14-26 shots from the field and score 18 points from the line.

"He has a tremendous game and I don't want to take anything away from him," said Cliff Robinson, one of four defenders the Pistons tried on McGrady. "We gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game, but do we feel as though we got a fair whistle? No, we don't. At the same time, the whistles are going to be inconsistent at times and you have to fight through that."

The Pistons fought through a 17-point deficit in the third quarter and were able to get to within two points on a few occasions but were unable to overcome the disparity at the line and a game-saving circus shot off the glass by Orlando guard Darrell Armstrong as the shot clock expired.

"I don't want to comment on the discrepancy of fouls," said Coach Rick Carlisle, whose team has lost two straight. "But there were a couple of times down the stretch where we deserved to get a call and we didn't, but that's the way it goes."

The New York Knicks have announced that the team will retire Patrick Ewing's famous #33 jersey at half time of a Feb. 28 game against the Orlando Magic.

"I am honored to have my jersey retired by this franchise," said Ewing, who is an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards. "I have spent the majority of my career in New York and I will always consider myself a Knick. I will always cherish the memories that I have made in New York."

ESPN.com reports that Ewing will join greats Walt Frazier, Dick Barnett, Earl Monroe, Dick McGuire, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley as the only Knick players to have their numbers retired.  Ewing played 15 seasons in New York, coming close to winning an elusive championship on various occasions but just fell short each time.

"Patrick was the symbol of all that was great about New York basketball over a 15-year span that includes two NBA Finals appearances and four division titles," said Knicks general manager Scott Layden. "We feel there is no finer honor to bestow upon him that to have his number take its rightful place in the rafters with other franchise greats."

After forcing a trade to Seattle in 2000 Ewing's production dropped dramatically.  At season's end he was not retained by the Supersonics and signed with the Orlando Magic for part of their mid-level exception, where he played sparingly off the bench - recording his career first DNP-CD (did not play, coaches decision) - then was again told his services were not required.  Rather than play on, Ewing decided to accept an assistant coaching job with nemesis Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards this season and there he remains.

Ewing ended his career with averages of 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.45 blocks per game in 1,183 games played.  Patrick Ewing, we salute you!

Jerry Brewer of the Orlando Sentinel reports that the Magic are hopeful that Tracy McGrady?s back will be improve with rest. He sat out Friday?s game, a win over Denver, so that he would get a full four days rest before attempting to return on Monday.

The Denver game is the second he?s missed during their current west coast trip. His back was injured last Sunday and the team decided that rest was more important than trying to play through the injury. "Playing him while he's been hurt really hasn't benefited him or us," Magic Coach Doc Rivers said. "We have an important stretch of the season coming up, and we need him healthy and ready."

McGrady insists that this injury is not related to the lower back strain that hampered him last season. This is only a bruise, the result of an elbow from Los Angeles guard Kobe Bryant.

The Nuggets take on Orlando tonight at the Pepsi Center.  The game starts @ 7 and is on Fox sports and AM 950.

Fans taunt the lesser-known Orlando Magic players with regularity and nastiness these days.

They are on the court so much now, more than they should because of injuries, and they play a brand of basketball that is easy to ridicule. Forward Ryan Humphrey comes in and exits, and the line is, ?Thanks for the minute, Humphrey!? Guard Jeryl Sasser enters, and someone at the Delta Center yells, ?Sassy pants!? Forward Andrew DeClercq runs toward the scorer's table, and a man exclaims, ?It is I, DeClercq!?

Take away the fear factor superstars provide, and things get ugly. Good thing these players do not mind ugly.

Without Tracy McGrady for most of the game and Grant Hill for all of it ? and with Mike Miller vomiting throughout -- the Magic claimed an unglamorous 97-90 victory against Utah on Wednesday night.

Determined to end a losing streak, resolved not to be a .500 team, eager to lighten the mood before catching a flight east -- the Jazz had their pick of motivations against Orlando on Wednesday.
   
Oh, wait. The Magic stole those, too.
   
With similar prizes at stake, Orlando forced the Jazz into turnover after turnover, overcame the absence of its three biggest stars, and pulled away in the final minute to hand Utah an ugly bon voyage gift: Its fourth straight loss, 97-90 in the Delta Center.
   
"It's difficult to understand," muttered Jazz forward Matt Harpring, and he has a valid point. It's one thing if Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill and Mike Miller whip you, but Hill nursed a sore ankle on the bench, McGrady left before halftime with a bad back, and Miller played with the flu until fouling out with five minutes left.