Magic host Mavericks


Who: Orlando Magic (19-20) vs. Dallas Mavericks (25-11)
When: 7:30 p.m., today.
Where: Orlando's TD Waterhouse Centre.
Tickets: Approximately 2,500 available; call 1-800-4-NBA-TIX.
TV, radio: Sunshine Network; WMEL-AM 920, WDBO-AM 580.
Starters: Orlando -- guards Darrell Armstrong, Tracy McGrady; forwards Mike Miller, Pat Garrity; center Horace Grant. Mavericks -- guards Steve Nash, Johnny Newman; forwards Dirk Nowitzki, Adrian Griffin; center Juwan Howard.
Magic notes: Orlando's four-game winning streak is a distant memory following frustrating home losses to Portland and New Jersey. Shooting has been a major problem for a Magic team that has little post production and has settled for too many jump shots. Against Portland, the Magic shot just 44 percent from the floor and missed 13 of their 19 3-point tries. Things got even worse in Saturday's loss to the Nets. The Magic made just 38.2 percent of their shots. They missed their first 11 3-point tries and hit just 23 percent from beyond the arc. . . . Standout guard Tracy McGrady is struggling with a groin strain and there is a slight chance he might not play tonight. The injury has curtailed his usually explosive first step and has him driving to the basket less and less. As a result, he has made just 15 of 43 shots in the past two games. . . . Pat Garrity has played well since moving into the Magic starting lineup. He had a career-high nine rebounds against Boston and he has made nine 3-pointers in the past four games. He had 17 points and seven rebounds in Saturday's loss. . . . The toll of playing six games in nine days seemed to take its toll on 33-year-old point guard Darrell Armstrong. He missed his last nine shots Saturday night.
Mavericks notes: Despite playing without standout guard Michael Finley (pulled hamstring), Dallas has won three games in a row and eight of its past 10 games. The Mavericks are just two games out of first place in the rugged Midwest Division, trailing Minnesota and San Antonio. . . . Dallas wiped out a 15-point deficit in the third quarter Saturday night in its 111-102 defeat of the Indiana Pacers. . . . Steve Nash has become one of the game's most dynamic point guards and likely will be an all-star this season. He had 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday's win. He is averaging 18.8 points and 7.9 assists a game and has a double-double in 10 times this season. . . . No player has been better than Dirk Nowitzki of late. In his past nine games, Nowitzki is averaging 28 points a game. He had 31 points in Saturday's win. . . . Veteran point guard Tim Hardaway has been playing better of late, but he still is shooting just 36 percent from the floor this season. . . . Dallas drilled Orlando 102-80 back on Dec. 22. The Mavs made 10 3-pointers in the game, four of them coming from Hardaway. . . . The Magic lead the all-time series 16-11, including a 10-2 mark in Orlando.
Next for the Magic: Friday, at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:30 p.m. (UPN-65)