Rarely have both the Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks been wallowing below the .500 mark whenever they have met.

But their game tonight could bump the Jets and the Giants off the back page of New York's tabloids. That's because it marks the second visit by Patrick Ewing to Madison Square Garden, and his first in a Magic uniform, since the Knicks traded the franchise's all-time leader in almost every major statistical category to Seattle in September 2000.

If the reception is anything like the one he received last season when the SuperSonics played the Knicks, expect a rousing ovation and chants of "Pa-trick Ew-ing" followed by rhythmic clapping.

"He deserves every hand," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "I wish he got more of them when he was there."

Ewing went into the weekend averaging 6.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 16.4 minutes through 30 games with the Magic. Those figures are all less than half of what he averaged during a 15-year career with the Knicks.

"You can see it in his eyes when he's not playing well," Rivers said. "He feels he's letting us down. He feels he's letting me down."

But at age 39, Ewing remains driven. After the Magic got back two weeks ago from a lengthy and frustrating road trip at 6 a.m., Ewing told assistant coach Johnny Davis to meet him right away at the team's practice facility for what turned out to be a 90-minute workout.

"I would be thrilled to death if Patrick Ewing could have a great game in New York. I really would," Rivers said. "And I'm going to try to put him in every position I can for him to do that."

A QUIET EXIT

While Ewing is bound to be the center of attention in New York, Horace Grant would prefer to go about his final NBA season with a minimum of fuss.

"I came into the league quiet. I'm going out quiet. That's the way I like it," said Grant, 36, who has announced he will bypass the final year of his contract with the Magic in favor of retirement.

Grant is playing almost as many minutes a game as he did last season with the Los Angeles Lakers. But with no one remotely close to the equivalent of Shaquille O'Neal at center for the Magic, the 6-foot-10 forward is absorbing more of a pounding.

Although his only absence thus far came Nov. 21 against Minnesota because of back spasms, Grant said he has been playing for more than three weeks with a pain in his leg which shows no signs of healing.

"When your body tells you, Hey, it's time to hang these things up,' . . ." he said, holding a pair of his basketball shoes. "You look at a guy like Larry Bird. He knew it was time to hang it up."

ROOKIES ROTATE

The Magic's 102-80 drubbing Dec. 22 at Dallas was noteworthy only for rookie guard Jeryl Sasser making his regular-season debut in his hometown.

Sasser was activated earlier in the day and had three points, three rebounds and one assist in 15 minutes against the Mavericks. To make room for the No. 22 overall draft pick from last summer, the Magic placed their other first-round selection -- center Steven Hunter, who started in 21 of their first 26 games -- on the injured list with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

"I knew it was going to happen eventually," Sasser said of his activation, which came while Tracy McGrady was in Atlanta having his strained lower back examined. "I just had to be patient."