With Michael Finley and Ray Allen having missed games because of injuries, the NBA's longest consecutive-games streak now belongs to Shandon Anderson of the New York Knicks.

Anderson extended his streak to 365 games Sunday night as the Knicks played the Orlando Magic.

Finley's streak of 490 games ended Saturday when he was held out of Dallas' game against the Atlanta Hawks because of a sore left hamstring. A knee injury ended Allen's streak of 388 games earlier this month.

The Magic will stay in New York an extra day because they don't play at Boston until Wednesday. No one in the Magic camp is disappointed.

New Year's Eve in the Big Apple? Ah, the possibilities.

And Magic Coach Doc Rivers won't impose any special rules for tonight. There is no practice today, either.

"They're adults," Rivers said. "Treating them like kids gets you in trouble. I just try to tell them to stay out of dangerous situations."

For most of the players, this is their first New Year's Eve in New York. It's odd, considering they travel so much, but most of them have had games elsewhere on this day.

"It's fun," Magic forward Jud Buechler said. "I'm not going to be going down to Times Square or anything, but I'm looking forward to it. I always love coming here."

A return to normalcy

Because of an unforgiving schedule and injuries of late, the Magic have had one formal practice in the past month.

"And we haven't had a quality practice since training camp," Rivers said.

All that will change now that the Magic enter a portion of the schedule that's more spread out -- and now that they have enough healthy players.

They'll have their first practice between games in three weeks Tuesday in New Jersey before flying to Boston.

The Magic have played 32 games in 62 days so far this season, including playing eight times on back-to-back nights. It's the most brutal stretch any team in the NBA has played.

"That's been difficult," Rivers said. "We've used shootarounds more than we ever had. And I don't even like shootarounds, really. From this point on, though, we'll have time to rest, practice and gather ourselves."

It's a difficult job

Rivers said he doesn't know if he could handle being in Knicks interim coach Don Chaney's situation.

"I think taking any interim job is impossible," said Rivers, who served as an assistant coach in Atlanta.

"You want to do things your way, but things have already been set another way. I couldn't do that."

The big man, so long the anchor, was leading the cheers, giddy like no one had ever seen him. Patrick Ewing was slapping hands, rubbing heads, hugging bodies. He was pretending to punch teammates in the stomach. He was pulling on jersey shirts.

What the Magic did here Sunday night was improbable, special and might turn around their season.

Down 16 points with 7 minutes, 40 seconds remaining, they kept hustling, disregarding a scoreboard that said quit and snatched a 94-90 victory from the New York Knicks (13-17) with a 24-4 run.

And Ewing, who spent 15 years here and became a superstar while giving Madison Square Garden fans many memories, watched from the bench in pleasure.

?We could have very easily given up,? Ewing said, flashing that sun-bright grin, ?but we fought back.? The Magic (15-17) are alive again. Their eyes and voices said so. They went to a small lineup late in the game, and their hustle won it.

It was point guard Darrell Armstrong running down a streaking Latrell Sprewell and causing him to miss a layup. It was Pat Garrity ? the center in this lineup! ? diving to beat Marcus Camby for a rebound. It was Troy Hudson, on his way to 15 points and eight rebounds, making the Knicks' defenders look as if they had on roller skates. It was Mike Miller, who struggled, hitting a 3-pointer when it mattered most. It was Tracy McGrady, hawking Allan Houston all game and blocking Mark Jackson's shot on the Knicks' last chance.

McGrady missed 16 of 23 field-goal attempts, but he finished with 29 points, a game-high 11 rebounds and four assists. He was a major factor in Houston missing 13 of 19 shots, and he soared over Othella Harrington for a one-handed dunk that injected the Magic with energy.

?I think Tracy, defensively, all night was awesome,? Magic Coach Doc Rivers said. ?We always talk about his dunks, we talk about his great offensive moves. I think he should get more credit for his defense than he does.?

Ewing first entered the game with five minutes, 40 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The fans stood and clapped for him for 30 seconds. Then, while Miller was shooting free throws, they chanted ?Pat-rick Ewing!? over and over.

Ewing had five points and four rebounds in 15 minutes.

?I was a little tentative, maybe I was nervous,? Ewing said. ?I was looking forward to having a big game, but that wasn't the case.?

Ewing led from the bench most of the second half. Early in the fourth quarter, Rivers pulled a struggling Miller from the game. Ewing made Miller sit next to him. For the next few minutes, he talked with the struggling forward. When Rivers called for Miller to return to the game, Ewing yelled, ?Remember what I said, Mike.?

Several minutes later, Miller hit a 3-pointer to cut the Knicks' lead to 88-84. Then, Garrity hit a trey to make it 88-87 with one minute, six seconds left. After a jumper by Houston, McGrady drove on Sprewell, drew a foul, dunked and then made the free throw to tie the game. McGrady hit two free throws with 17 seconds left to give the Magic the lead. His defense on Jackson sealed the victory.

Asked if it was the best victory he has ever had, McGrady said, ?Oh, no doubt.?

?If we believe, look at what we can come up with,? Armstrong said. ?That's one of the best feelings I've ever had. I bet fans in Orlando are buzzing right now.?

Tracy McGrady scored 29 points and blocked an ill-advised shot by Charlie Ward with five seconds left as the Orlando Magic closed the game with an 18-2 run and beat the New York Knicks, 94-90, Sunday night.

The collapse was the latest in a series of them for New York, which has shown a penchant lately for blowing leads late in games. Losing for the fifth time in their last six home games, the Knicks were booed off the court.

The crowd also booed Allan Houston early in the third quarter after he missed a free throw to remain scoreless, but the Knicks seemed to have won the fans over and have the game in hand after Latrell Sprewell hit a jumper for an 88-76 lead with 4:33 left.

The Knicks missed three shots on their next possession and suddenly couldn't score. McGrady scored on a drive and Mike Miller and Pat Garrity hit consecutive 3-pointers in an 11-0 run that made it 88-87. After Houston hit a 23-footer, McGrady was fouled by Sprewell as he went up for a dunk, and he converted the three-point play to tie it at 90.

Houston missed on a drive, and McGrady drew Shandon Anderson's sixth foul by driving around him and into the lane. McGrady hit both free throws with 17.1 seconds left for a 92-90 lead.

The Knicks then ran a two-man isolation play with Charlie Ward and Sprewell, but Ward -- hounded by the taller McGrady -- could not or would not throw an entry pass to Sprewell.

Instead, he hoisted a 3-pointer that was blocked by McGrady.

Troy Hudson grabbed the loose ball and was fouled, making both free throws to ice the win.

Hudson scored 15 and Miller 13 for the Magic.

Sprewell led the Knicks with 28, Houston had 17 and Kurt Thomas added 16.

Houston heard scattered boos late in he first half when he missed his sixth consecutive field goal attempt.

The taunts seemed to inspire Houston, who hit three shots over the rest of the quarter and began the fourth with consecutive 3-pointers for an 81-66 lead.

The Knicks came back from an early nine-point deficit and took a 49-43 halftime lead behind 21 points from Sprewell.

Allan Houston may have gotten the big contract last summer, but the Knicks fans may be getting the last laugh.  Or the last boo, perhaps.

With Houston bricking seven shots on his way to zero first-half points, the Garden faithful let loose several choruses of boo's.  "It's not the first time and probably not the last time," Houston said.  

At the same time, the New York Times' Marc Berman reports that Patrick Ewing was greeted with cheers whenever he came into the game.  It didn't matter that Ewing was mostly ineffective, with his main contribution being waiving a towel and cheering from the end of the bench.

Houston came on strong with 17 second half points, but Berman says the Knicks sunk to a new low in disgracing themselves against the Magic in a 94-90 loss. They managed to blow a 16-point lead with 7:40 left in the game.  The Garden fans booed the Knicks loudly at the final buzzer.

Berman asks when the knives will be out for interim coach Don Chaney.

Don Chaney, Brian Winters and Mike Evans each have been given an unexpected opportunity this season.

Whether they have a chance is another story.

Few jobs offer less security than interim coach, the title Chaney holds in New York, Winters with Golden State and Evans in Denver.

In recent years, Paul Silas in Charlotte, Scott Skiles in Phoenix, Jim O'Brien in Boston and Nate McMillan in Seattle have made the transition from interim to full time. But all acknowledge the precarious nature of their previous status.

"It's the hardest thing you'd ever do -- everything is against you," Silas said. "You hear all the rumors about how certain guys are going to get the job when you want it so badly. It's a horrible position to be in, but that's your shot.

"The players, they'd just as soon say, `Next! Who else is coming in?' You've got to have the hammer [of a long-term contract]. It's awfully tough if they know at the end of the year that you're probably gone anyway."

Resurrection is the key, and a quick one at that. Silas, Skiles and O'Brien promptly got their franchises back on the right track. All understood the clock was ticking.

"Sometimes," Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders said, "the best way to get a job is to come in and do a good job."

Saunders went from an interim role in Minnesota in 1995 to a $20 million, five-year contract. The difference was Timberwolves Vice President Kevin McHale had a longstanding relationship with Saunders.

That's why Winters accepts his vague status with the Warriors.

"Interim is to be expected," the former Grizzlies expansion coach said. "You can't expect the team to commit to me for the long term, sight unseen, so to speak. Let the cards fall where they may. If I don't do well or the team doesn't do well, they'll look for another coach. That's the way it is. I understand that."

In Denver, Evans is working amid a swirl of potential full-time replacements, from 76ers coach Larry Brown to legendary Nuggets coach Doug Moe to University of Cincinnati mad man Bob Huggins.

"I don't know if there are any good situations," Evans said of carrying the interim tag. "The most favorable, I imagine, you could end up like Phil Jackson and walk into a great situation. I have not been that fortunate."

For now, nothing is guaranteed.

For example, asked straight on if Chaney would survive the balance of the season as interim coach, Knicks General Manager Scott Layden offered only a roundabout reply.

"As you know, we have a company policy where we don't discuss our employees' contracts," he said. "But we know Coach Chaney is a fantastic coach, and he's doing everything he can to keep this team competitive. We're confident in our coaching staff, and we're looking forward to getting on to the next game."

The next game. For these three, that is all that matters, all that is assured.

EAST IS LEAST

In the Western Conference, the Blazers, Suns and Jazz all are starting to sweat, barely one-third into the season. The competition is that fierce.

Then there is the Eastern Conference, where Heat coach Pat Riley can talk about making the playoffs -- and not be summarily dismissed.

"Thank God for the East," Magic coach Doc Rivers said last week, as his team stood four games below .500 and was working its way through a series of injuries.

"As bad as the whole thing looks now, it's not all that bad when you think about it," Rivers said. "And we still are going to be a playoff team."

In the East, homecourt advantage in the first round is within reach of the bottom-feeders.

"After all the stuff we've been through, after feeling like we're the worst team in the league, we're still in the playoff hunt," Magic point guard Darrell Armstrong said. "Things can't get any worse. And when it turns, we won't be in that bad of shape."

Raptors forward Vince Carter echoed similar sentiments regarding his team's uneven performance.

"I'm not saying playing bad is a good thing," he said. "But it leaves us a little room to play bad [and] still be in contention."

SINK FLOYD

So exactly what happened when Tim Floyd requested a specific player be acquired during his tenure as Bulls coach, a tenure that ended with last week's resignation?

According to Floyd, the response from General Manager Jerry Krause would be, "that player's not going to help you win."

So what advice did Floyd's predecessor have for Chicago's next coach?

"You've got to give Krause his territory and pretty much be content to just coach," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

The coaching fraternity quickly rallied around Floyd.

"Tim Floyd was in an impossible situation," the Magic's Rivers said. "He didn't do anything wrong -- maybe taking the job."

COACHING CAROUSEL

In throwing his name into play after Floyd's resignation, former Hawks and Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello also laid out an impressive resume to perhaps succeed Riley with the Heat. "I see no problem coaching in a rebuilding program with young people," Fratello said.

"I did it twice and enjoyed success. I did it in Atlanta. In my third year, we had five rookies on the team and still won 50 games. We went on to win at least 50 games four straight years. The same thing in Cleveland. We went through rebuilding, and we built a solid, consistent winner." ...

Dan Issel did not walk away empty-handed from the Nuggets, reportedly receiving nearly all of the $3.7 million remaining on his contract for this season and next. It is the second time Issel quit the Nuggets in the middle of his third season as coach. ...

Having taken over for deposed Dave Cowens with the Warriors, and having previously coached the expansion Grizzlies, Winters certainly has a deep appreciation for losing. "I was told once that when you're under-talented, the shot clock is too short and the games are too long," he said.

MONEY FOR NOTHING

Last season, the best the Heat could come up with for the $3.9 million disabled-player exception in the absence of Alonzo Mourning was Cedric Ceballos.

This year, Philadelphia learned how little is available in the early stages of the season, as it allowed the $4.2 million disabled-player exception it received for Matt Geiger's retirement to expire. "Nothing was out there to benefit our team," Brown said. ...

Having made the playoffs 19 consecutive seasons, the longest streak in professional sports, the Blazers stand on the verge of becoming yet another unlikely postseason outsider, potentially joining a stellar lottery lineup that also could include the Heat and Knicks. "We're not the team we're supposed to be right now," forward Ruben Patterson said. "Everybody knows the Trail Blazers should be up with the top-ranked teams, with the Lakers and the Kings and everybody else, but what can I say?" ...

By contrast, Utah appears to have regained its edge. "If anybody thinks that they're not going to be in the playoffs, I think they're nuts," the Celtics' O'Brien said.

SLOW STARTER

Give Celtics forward Paul Pierce credit for his candor. After going for 36 points against Utah in the teams' previous meeting, Pierce did not even attempt a shot until 7:13 remained in the second quarter of last week's rematch. Pierce first said he was "trying to feel out the defense," and then that he was "looking to get other people involved," and then that he was just trying to "feel the atmosphere." Finally, he admitted, "To tell you the truth, I was kind of tired in the first quarter." He regained his legs to go for 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting in the loss. ...

Line of the weak: Celtics center Vitaly Potapenko not only went 1 of 9 against the Jazz but had six of his shots blocked. ...

After going for 53 points in a loss to Dallas, San Antonio's Tim Duncan was more confounded how the Mavericks' Michael Finley went for 28, Steve Nash went for 27 and Dirk Nowitzki went for 26. "They get up and down and are semi-reckless," Duncan said. "They can really shoot it from anywhere." ...

As his center returns from foot problems, Cavaliers coach John Lucas said he will continue to limit Zydrunas Ilgauskas to 24 minutes per game and 40 minutes total in back-to-back sets. Lucas said there would be no change now that Ilgauskas has re-emerged as a starter.

JERMAINE'S TURN

The offensive focus continues to shift in Indiana, going from Reggie Miller to Jalen Rose and now to Jermaine O'Neal, who may just possess the best post repertoire in the Eastern Conference. "He's probably playing the best basketball of any big man in the East," Pacers coach Isiah Thomas said. "He's so quick in the post and he handles the ball so well that it's difficult to guard him down there. He's going to get a good shot or get fouled." ...

Dan Majerle showed last week he still can get it done on the defensive end. After torching Penny Hardaway for most of his 26 points through three quarters, Houston guard Cuttino Mobley shot only 2 of 8 in the fourth quarter when Phoenix turned to Majerle for help. ...

The Grizzlies soon may be in need of some tanking. Still owing Detroit a first-round pick because of its ill-fated acquisition of Otis Thorpe from the Pistons four years ago, Memphis must forward this season's first-rounder unless it is among the first five. If it is, Memphis' first-round pick unconditionally goes to Detroit in 2003.

HUMBLE HUBERT

There is something to be said for Hubert Davis' veteran humility. Needed as a fill-in for injured Richard Hamilton, the Wizards' shooting guard admitted the obvious. "It's totally different. He's better than me," Davis said. ...

In working with Kevin Garnett on his low-post game, the Timberwolves' McHale cut to the essence of pump fakes. "If guys think you're going to make your shot, they'll jump," he said. "If they don't think you can make shots, they ain't jumping. [Jim] McIlvaine can pump fake until the cows come home and no one's going to jump." ...

Dell Curry continues to find inconsistent minutes under Lenny Wilkens in Toronto, often going extended periods before his number is called. "I've stopped trying to figure out when that's going to happen," the veteran guard said.

Magic at Knicks

Who: Orlando Magic (14-17) vs. New York Knicks (13-16).
When: 7 p.m., today.
Where: New York's Madison Square Garden.
TV, radio: UPN-65; WMEL-AM 920, WDBO-AM.
Starters: Orlando -- guards Darrell Armstrong, Tracy McGrady; forwards Mike Miller, Horace Grant; center Andrew DeClercq. New York -- guards Mark Jackson, Allan Houston; forwards Latrell Sprewell, Kurt Thomas; center Marcus Camby.
Magic notes: Orlando begins its three-game roadtrip with some confidence after defeating the Detroit Pistons Friday night, 87-78. Orlando played solid defense, holding the Pistons to 35.8 percent shooting. The Magic play in Boston Wednesday and in New Jersey Friday. They return home Saturday night to host the Golden State Warriors. . . . Darrell Armstrong and Tracy McGrady are playing with nagging back injuries. Armstrong was the hero of Friday's win with his 21 points and six assists. Doctors do not want McGrady playing more than 35 minutes a night because of a lower back strain that kept him out of three games last week. He still managed 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists against the Pistons. . . . Orlando outrebounded Detroit 49-42. It was just the second time in nine game that the Magic have won the battle on the boards.
Knicks notes: Despite having the second-highest payroll in the NBA, New York has been a major disappointment so far this season. The Knicks lost 98-88 Friday night in Cleveland, their seventh loss in their past nine games. . . . Jeff Van Gundy resigned as head coach on Dec. 10 and the Knicks have struggled ever since. They lost their first four games under Don Chaney. New York's two wins under Chaney have come against Charlotte and Toronto, two playoff teams last season. . . . Latrell Sprewell leads the Knicks in scoring (20.2 points a game), but is shooting just 42.7 percent from the floor. . . . Oft-injured center Marcus Camby has been largely inconsistent in the 14 games he has played. In Friday's loss, he had more fouls (five) than points (three) in 17 minutes. . . . New York has won six of the past eight games against Orlando the past two seasons. Orlando has not won in New York since Feb. 1, 2000.
Next for the Magic: Wednesday, at Boston Celtics, 7 p.m. (UPN-65)

The Orlando Magic had just suffered their worst loss of the season, and to make matters worse the team had a six-hour redeye flight to ponder a disastrous roadtrip in which it lost four times in five games.

The beleaguered Magic landed in Orlando early that next morning well before the sun hit the horizon. Head coach Doc Rivers managed to brighten the spirits of his players somewhat by announcing that he was giving them the next two days off in hopes that the rest would help heal their battered bodies and bruised psyches.

But veteran center Patrick Ewing, bothered greatly about missing 5 of his 7 shots and watching Seattle outscore the Magic 34-2 in the paint a night earlier, wanted nothing to do with time away from the game. He had to get this bad basketball taste out of his mouth and he had to do it right then.

"We land at 6 in the morning and Patrick asks (Magic assistant coach) Johnny (Davis) to meet him at the gym," Rivers recalled. "And Johnny said, 'When? Later this evening?' He said, 'No, now.' They went straight to (the Magic headquarters) and practiced for an hour and a half. I mean, this is one of the 50 greatest players of all time at the end of his career and he's working on his game at 6 o'clock in the morning. We had two days off before our next game, and Patrick was there both days."

Ewing, a sure-fire Hall of Famer when he likely retires after next season, returns to New York tonight, the place where he spent the first 15 years of his career. Ewing is just two seasons removed from wearing the orange and blue of the Knicks, but in many ways it seems like light years ago. His dominant days as an 11-time All-Star, which included being named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, seems like some sort of past life. Now, the 39-year-old center is reduced to backing up Andrew DeClercq and averaging career lows in points (7.0) and rebounds (5.0) as a reserve.

But Ewing has refused to grumble about his reduced role, instead serving as more of a mentor for youngsters such as Tracy McGrady and Steven Hunter. He was particularly vocal in a two-hour team meeting Thursday, holding court about the problems that have plagued the Magic (14-17) this season.

"I'm looking forward to (playing in New York again)," Ewing said. "It's still home for me, and I want to play my best there."

Ewing's tempestuous relationship with New York always was a love-hate relationship. Fans and news media loved him for turning the Knicks into consistent winners again, while becoming arguably the franchise's greatest player ever. But his wariness of the spotlight in a city that feeds off electric personalities wore some the wrong way.

By the time when he asked for a trade in the summer of 2000, things had turned ugly. His teammates began to insinuate that the Knicks were better off without his plodding style. And few in New York seemed able to forgive him for not being able to produce a championship while in New York.

Rivers, who played in New York with Ewing for 2 1/2 seasons, is irked by the notion that Ewing's tenure with the Knicks was a failure because he did not win it all.

"It's not unfortunate, it's unfair," Rivers said. "I've always thought that. Blame me, blame Charles Smith, Rolando Blackman, Greg Anthony and Charles Oakley for not winning a title. Don't blame Patrick Ewing, because he did his job. If he would have had better players around him, he would have won a ring."

Ewing was traded to Seattle before last season and all seemed to be forgiven last February when he returned to New York for the first time. Many of the same fans who booed him spent the game chanting "Pat-rick Ew-ing!" And the 7-footer responded to the pregame ovations and the chants with a solid 12-point, five-rebound effort. It is, he said, one of his greatest basketball memories.

"It was very emotional. They tried to make me cry," Ewing joked. "I was very emotional. This time, I'll get ready the same way I always do and try to say hello to a lot of my friends who are still there before the game."

Acquired this summer along with Horace Grant to bolster the Magic's sagging frontline, Ewing's impact thus far has been spotty at best. There have been flashes of his former greatness -- 22 points in a dominant performance in Phoenix, 18 points against old nemesis Michael Jordan in Washington and 11 points and nine rebounds Friday night in Orlando's win against Detroit.

"The time that I am out on the court, I think I'm pretty productive," said Ewing, who is playing 16.6 minutes a game. "I'm helping my team and doing a lot of little things like rebounding and playing defense."

But mostly, Ewing has struggled with his stamina and to keep up with the younger, quicker players. He has been largely ineffective when the Magic have played on back-to-back nights, and Rivers has been quick to pull him from games.

But Rivers is quick to defend his veteran center, stressing that his impact on the Magic stretches well beyond the basketball court. And as the 6 a.m. workout might suggest, Rivers said Ewing is as hungry as ever for success.

"I think he's even more so driven. The one thing everybody has always underestimated about Patrick is his pride," Rivers said. "He has more pride than any single player I've ever been around. His feelings are hurt when he doesn't play well because his pride has been damaged. To him, even though he's playing 16 minutes and he's hot and cold now, he's still searching for a way to be consistent every day. And it hurts him -- you can actually see it in his eyes -- when he doesn't play well because he feels he's letting us down.

"My wife (Kris Rivers) thinks Patrick's far more relaxed and happier now," Rivers continued. "A lot of that is that he's not 'The Man.' The pressure is off a little, and he can enjoy the game. His whole career he had all that pressure on him, and I don't know if he got a chance to enjoy it. I've never seen Patrick happier. He's always laughing and joking around and he's fun on the plane. Coaches and players come up to me all the time now and say, 'I didn't know Patrick was like this.' And I tell them, 'I didn't either.' "

Rivers has no plans to start Ewing tonight -- "I don't like Patrick that much," he joked -- but does plan to use the center 20-plus minutes. And Rivers thinks Ewing will be invigorated by the return to New York.

"Patrick's M.O. so far has been when he's played out West or TV games or against old opponents he's played extremely well, so we're gonna pray and hope that trend continues," Rivers said. "I would be thrilled to death if he has a great game in New York, I really would. I'm going to try to put him in every position to do that. He'll be in and he'll get a great ovation. He deserves every hand he gets. I wish he would have gotten more of them when he was there."

Tonight:
New York Knicks, 7

WHERE: Madison Square Garden.

RECORDS: Magic 14-17, Knicks 13-16.

BROADCAST: TV -- WRBW-Channel 65. Radio -- 580 AM (WDBO) in Orlando; Spanish-language coverage on 1440 AM (WPRD).

PROBABLE STARTERS: Magic -- F Mike Miller (6-8), F Horace Grant (6-10), C Andrew DeClercq (6-10), G Tracy McGrady (6-8), G Darrell Armstrong (6-1). Knicks -- F Latrell Sprewell (6-5), F Kurt Thomas (6-9), C Marcus Camby (6-11), G Allan Houston (6-6), G Mark Jackson (6-3).

MAGIC UPDATE: Now that the Magic are playing better defense, they are having offensive problems. They have dropped from No. 1 to No. 5 in the NBA in scoring over the past two weeks and haven't scored 100 points since Dec. 15, a span of six consecutive games. It's their poorest offensive stretch of the season. The Magic beat Detroit 87-78 on Friday night to stop a three-game losing streak.

KNICKS UPDATE: The Knicks have already lost their coach. Jeff Van Gundy quit earlier in the month after a successful run. The Knicks have lost seven of their past nine games. In four of those games, they didn't convert down the stretch and had wins stolen from them. Sprewell, who is averaging 20 points, is having an all-star year, and Houston has averaged 31 points over the past two games and is beginning to play as if he's worthy of the $100 million contract the Knicks gave him this past off-season. Injuries have been the Knicks' biggest problem. Camby has missed 15 games, and forward Clarence Weatherspoon has played in only 12.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Miller is due for a big game. Though he has produced, he hasn't shot the ball well since going eight-of-16 on Dec. 16 in a loss against Seattle. If Camby is healthy, the Magic will struggle against him. In three games against the Magic last season, Camby averaged 15.7 points and 11 rebounds.

ETC.: The Magic have lost three straight games at the Garden. Their last win there was 98-77 on Feb. 1, 2000.

What? Did you think Patrick Ewing would shed some tears while reminiscing about his days as a New York Knick?

Think he was going to give the media a tour of his favorite Manhattan spots?

Imagine anything from him besides his continent-wide grin, a few niceties and some babble about another game in his 17-year career?

Come on, now. Ewing is still Ewing -- focused, determined and thrifty with his words. Now a role player for the Magic, the 7-footer returns to Madison Square Garden for a game at 7 tonight against his former team. It will be the second time Ewing has played here since he was traded after the 1999-2000 season. He received a wonderful ovation last season when he returned with the Seattle SuperSonics.

"It was very emotional," Ewing said. "They tried to make me cry."

He gave the big grin but no tears.

"I don't think about it," Ewing said of his return tonight. "I get ready the same as I always do."

As much as he denies it, this is a big game for Ewing, 39. It has to be. New York always will be a special place to him, because that is where he hatched his stardom. It's where fans don't remember Ewing as a seven-points-per-game scorer. To Knicks fans, he's the high-scoring, dominant offensive player with the defensive skills to match, an intimidator who often willed the team to victory.

"He told us we better get a win for him," Magic guard Tracy McGrady said.

Ewing is chasing that elusive championship. It's the main reason he signed a two-year deal with the Magic in the off-season.

With Grant Hill out for the season with left-ankle problems, Ewing figures not to get his chance at a title until next season, if then. He is now saying that 2002-2003 will be his final season after hinting that he might play two more years after next season.

Of course, his pride won't let him give up on this season.

"I don't think it's going to be delayed," Ewing said of his championship dream. "Tracy's still here. We feel we have a lot of other pieces to still have a very good team."

Some might laugh at such a thought, but that's Ewing. He's stubborn that way. That is why basketball fans, especially New Yorkers, respect him.

That stubbornness also led some frustrated fans to blame Ewing for never getting a title as a Knick. He gave them 15 years of excellence and became one of the NBA's 50 greatest players here. He's one of the greatest players never to win a title.

A reporter asked Magic Coach Doc Rivers whether it was "unfortunate" that Ewing has such a fate.

"Not unfortunate; it's unfair," said Rivers, who played with Ewing on the 1993-94 Knicks team that lost to the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. "I've always thought that. Blame me, Charles Smith, Rolando Blackman, Greg Anthony and Charles Oakley for not winning a title.

"Don't blame Patrick Ewing because he did his job. If he would have had better players, he would have won one."

Now, Ewing is playing out his career with the Magic, playing 16.7 minutes per game, still fighting despite his diminished skills.

Rivers says Ewing is happier, more vocal now -- surprisingly so. Ewing is without burden and setting an example.

There's no better example of this than when Ewing got off the plane at 6 a.m. after a recent red-eye flight from Seattle to Orlando and then asked assistant coach Johnny Davis to meet him at the gym.

"Later this evening?" Davis asked.

"No, now," Ewing said.

The two then went to RDV Sportsplex and practiced for 90 minutes.

"Might as well get a workout in rather than be lethargic," Ewing said.

The desire has not changed. That's at least worthy of a standing ovation tonight