MOVING ON UP

After ranking last a week ago among all 29 teams in the NBA in defense, the Orlando Magic had moved up to 22nd going into their game Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks.

By holding the Memphis Grizzlies to 71 points Monday night and the Chicago Bulls to 74 points Wednesday night, the Magic went from giving up an average of 99.5 points a game to 96.7. The Hawks are one of the seven teams allowing more points a game than that.

"Twenty-second's nice. But for us to be a threat at the end of the year, we have to be in that 15-and-under range," coach Doc Rivers said.

The Magic have held their opponents to 43.3 percent shooting from the floor. The league average is 43.9.

WHO'S LAUGHING NOW?

Hawks guard Jacque Vaughn was the butt of jokes on ESPN while he missed his first 22 shots of the season. But Vaughn, a 41.4-percent shooter during his four seasons with the Utah Jazz, seems to be having the last laugh.

He went into the game shooting 62.9 percent (44 of 70) since his dreadful start. One of those baskets came during the Hawks' 105-96 win Nov. 29 at Cleveland, when Vaughn ran over a ballboy who was trying to get off the floor after mopping up moisture.

EWING'S RETURN

Tonight's game at Atlanta will be the first time Magic center Patrick Ewing has been in the city since he was ordered to testify in July in the Gold Club trial.

Ewing was one of several famous athletes who received special favors at the now-closed strip club.