While the future of the Orlando Magic is an obvious cause for concern, their present is a source of anxiety as well.

Losses to Portland and New Jersey over the weekend dropped the Magic back below the .500 mark almost halfway through their season. And with the Dallas Mavericks coming to the TD Waterhouse Centre tonight, there is a distinct possibility of a second three-game losing streak at home in less than two months.

The Magic also need a new owner. They have scheduled a press conference for this afternoon at which Rich DeVos is expected to discuss his reasons for planning to sell the entire franchise after an 11-year run.

DeVos, who will turn 76 on March 4 and underwent a heart transplant in 1997, said in an interview published Sunday that he would prefer the team remain in Orlando but would not require it as part of the sale. He also said he has no potential buyers for the franchise.

The Magic have their share of troubles on the court.

The Mavs handed the Magic a 102-80 thrashing in Dallas in December and are the NBA's top scoring team, averaging more than 103 points a game. Although Michael Finley will probably miss his fourth game in a row because of a strained left hamstring, Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash still make for a potent offense.

The Magic, meanwhile, have been unable to get started of late. In a telltale sign of how badly his sore groin is bothering him, Tracy McGrady shot less than 33 percent (12-of-37) from the floor

against the Trail Blazers and the Nets. Other than Horace Grant, no one has picked up much of the scoring slack for McGrady.

It's not as if the Magic are reluctant to shoot. If anything, coach Doc Rivers would like them to show some restraint. They missed 20 of 26 3-point field goals in a 91-85 loss to the Nets, and few of those occurred with the 24-second shot clock about to expire.

"If it's not Pat Garrity or Mike Miller, then we shouldn't shoot them unless were under 10 (seconds)," Rivers said.

A quick trigger finger would be playing into the hands of the Mavs, who have moved Nowitzki to center because of injuries to Shawn Bradley and Evan Eschmeyer.

"We have to be prepared to match any kind of weird lineup that they draw up," Garrity said.

"They're one of the best teams in the West," said Darrell Armstrong, who had to guard Damon Stoudamire and Jason Kidd on consecutive nights and now will be assigned to Nash. "What a great test for us. I think we need a game like that where you bring in a real good team."