The NBA and the Orlando Magic today announced that a fan who directed a racial slur at Dikembe Mutombo at the October 26 Rockets/Magic game at TD Waterhouse Centre has been banned by the NBA and the Magic from attending any games at the TD Waterhouse Centre this season and his season tickets have been rescinded. The NBA also announced that the fan will be banned from attending NBA games at any other arena for the 2006-07 season.

The NBA's Fan Code of Conduct requires fans to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner and not to make statements or engage in conduct that would reasonably be considered offensive to game participants or other fans.

Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo got into it with a fan who allegedly yelled racist slurs at him in the third quarter of the Rockets' preseason loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

Mutombo yelled at the man and gestured back. The fan was ejected. No action was taken against Mutombo.

"I am not going to take that. He was insulting my race, my family, my integrity. For him to call me a monkey ... that should not happen today," Mutombo said.

"If I get fined, I will go straight into the stands the next time."

The Orlando Magic have waived guard-forward Jackie Manuel and forward Kasib Powell, General Manager Otis Smith announced today.  Orlando?s roster now stands at 15 players.

Manuel (6?5?, 192, 3/29/83, North Carolina) appeared in four preseason games with the Magic, averaging 5.0 ppg., 2.0 rpg. and 1.25 stlpg. in 17.8 minpg.  Powell (6?7?, 215, 3/18/81, Texas Tech) averaged 7.6 ppg., 3.9 rpg. and 1.1 apg. in 22.3 minpg. during all seven preseason contests with Orlando.

Travis Diener and Luke Ridnour are two point guards that may become available via trade during the course of the season.

Diener has been playing well in Orlando, but the club has a lot of depth at the position.

Ridnour appears unlikely to sign an extension with the Sonics and was unhappy last season that Earl Watson finished many games at point guard.

The Magic held Grant Hill out of a third consecutive preseason game Saturday for no other reason than to guard against injury in a meaningless preseason game.

Hill played well this preseason and continues to stress that he is injury free. He played in the first three preseason games, averaging 11.3 points on 50 percent shooting.

But the decision was made by the Magic brass to play it safe because of Hill's long history of injuries. Coach Brian Hill said he changed his mind Saturday morning and decided to hold out Hill.

"If it was up to me, you know I'd be playing," Hill said. "I feel good. But I've felt good before. Maybe I'm smarter now, and by not playing a couple of the preseason games we're looking at the big picture."

J.J. Redick made his NBA preseason debut on Saturday for the Orlando Magic.  He had been sidelined due to a back injury.

He took just one shot in the game, not surprisingly it was a 3-pointer.

The Orlando Magic plan to send video footage of a controversial play in which Darko Milicic was knocked to the floor and injured his back to the NBA for further clarification.

Milicic was drilled in the chest by Atlanta Hawks rookie Shelden Williams' shoulder Tuesday, sending the Magic power forward sprawling. Milicic landed hard on the floor, bruising his lower back. X-rays Tuesday showed no structural damage, but Milicic isn't expected to play tonight when the Magic face the Hawks in Birmingham, Ala.

Magic coach Brian Hill was furious about the play and was assessed a technical foul for protesting to referee Courtney Kirkland. He was still fuming Wednesday, saying Williams should have been whistled for an offensive foul.

"I watched the tape, and the angle we have it's difficult to see," Hill said. "But you can tell by the way (Milicic's body) lifts up off the floor that it had to be an offensive foul.

"We'll send three or four clips to the league to get clarification, but that's pretty common procedure."

The Orlando Magic have disclosed that they paid a political consultant and frequent tax critic $200,000 not to oppose plans for a recently announced new arena.

The payments were made to Doug Guetzloe at two different points, who also hosts a local radio show billed as "The Voice of the People."

"We were told that there was an offer by those in the minority that oppose the three community venues to hire him if we did not," Magic chief operating officer Alex Martins said in a written statement. "He has been publicly involved in many major projects in central Florida for more than a decade. In hindsight, it was an error in judgment."

This weekend, beginning with tonight's exhibition game against the Hornets in Oklahoma City, the Magic will welcome back starting power forward Tony Battie (sore right knee) and backup point guard Carlos Arroyo (strained abdominal muscle).

Jameer Nelson is still out, being held out as a precaution, saying the medical staff doesn't want him risking another blow to the head. Nelson was injured in a training-camp collision with Dwight Howard.

Hedu Turkoglu "could play now," said Hill, but the club wants to see the results from his blood and urine tests this week.

Rookie shooting guard J.J. Redick (torn tissue on the bottom of his left foot) at least was wearing a basketball shoe on Thursday, having shed a protective boot he has worn the past few days.

Redick will be out another week, as will forward Trevor Ariza (sore toes on right foot).

Dwight Howard had 18 points and 10 rebounds Tuesday night to lead the Orlando Magic to a 107-90 preseason victory over Charlotte, offsetting an impressive pro debut by Adam Morrison of the Bobcats.

Morrison, who led the nation in scoring last season at Gonzaga with a 28.1 average and was the third overall pick in the NBA draft, had a game-high 19 points.