They haven't played the Milwaukee Bucks since last May, yet the Orlando Magic still carry around the bitter memories of them like some 400-pound gorilla along for the ride.

One by one, Magic players know that before they can be taken seriously as an Eastern Conference contender they must find some way to avenge last May's lopsided playoff loss to the Bucks.

Most painful of all, Magic point guard Darrell Armstrong said, is that Milwaukee is well aware of just how dominant it has been and has been none too hesitant to rub it in Orlando's faces.

"They will always be in our minds until we learn how to beat that team," said Armstrong, who struggled during the playoffs last year with a severe groin strain. "Their fans know we struggle against (the Bucks) and that's why it's always like a madhouse up there. What we've got to do is win games against them, and that's got to start (tonight).

"They feel like they can beat us no matter what. We have to beat them up there and beat them when they come back here. That will put a stop to this."

Tonight, the Magic (20-20) get their first shot at Milwaukee (23-13) since the Bucks demolished them in the first round of the playoffs last spring. Orlando is rested and ready, having had three off days and two practice sessions to prepare for the team that has haunted them the past two-plus seasons.

"Yeah, you definitely get jacked up for a game like this because this is the team that knocked you out last year. Players don't forget that," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "The league normally does it one of two ways. You usually either open the next season against that team or you play them at the midpoint of the season. So we have them three more times and I like it. It should be a great game for us and I know Milwaukee will be ready."

The two sides will be ready because, quite frankly, they don't care for one another. While averaging 33.8 points a game during the playoff series, Tracy McGrady often taunted the Bucks and referred to small forward Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson as "puppy dog." Milwaukee forward Tim Thomas was fined for flashing an obscene gesture at the Orlando fans. Sam Cassell and Armstrong were involved in a testy shoving match in one game, and McGrady was repeatedly hammered by the Bucks' post players when he would drive to the basket.

But the juiciest feud of all is between Rivers and Milwaukee coach George Karl, one that shows no signs of letting up anytime soon. The two talkative head coaches have spent the past two seasons trading barbs back and forth, with Rivers getting off the first verbal salvo of this season.

"The next time George Karl wants to talk about our loyalty to players," Rivers said earlier this season, "somebody should go ask Scott Williams how loyal he is."

Karl, who first raised the loyalty issue two years ago, traded Williams to Denver this past offseason in order to make room for the signing of free-agent forward Anthony Mason.

Despite the Magic's lack of success against the Bucks in the playoffs last year, it proved to be a launching pad for McGrady's stardom. Already the first 21-year-old player in history to average more than 26 points a game, McGrady took his dynamic game to another level against the Bucks. He had 33 and 35 points in the first two games, and then almost single-handedly willed the Magic to victory in Game 3 with his 42 points. By the time the series was complete, McGrady had an NBA-best 33.8-point scoring average.

He said on Thursday the reasons for his trash talking during the playoffs were two-fold: He was trying to throw off the Bucks, while also trying to take the pressure off his teammates.

"A couple of our guys had never been in the playoffs before and I wanted to release the pressure off of them," said McGrady, who is currently sixth in the NBA in scoring (25.2). "Milwaukee had owned this team for two years and I didn't want our guys to think we couldn't beat them so I was talking some smack. It was nothing personal."

But what McGrady does take personally is the notion that the Magic are inferior to the Bucks. Orlando enters this game playing its best basketball of the season, having won seven of its past 10 games. The Magic won 113-87 Monday against a Dallas team that has offensive firepower similar to the Bucks. Milwaukee can be beaten, McGrady stressed.

"I look at Milwaukee like the Rams," McGrady said. "They have a powerful offense, but their defense is kind of suspect. If you attack them and play great defense you have a good chance. But if you don't play defense they can run you out of the gym."

After a shaky start, Milwaukee has moved back to the top of the Central Division with a five-game winning streak. But in two of those victories, the Bucks nearly squandered leads of 24 points (versus New York) and 20 (versus Indiana). It was enough for Karl to rip into Cassell and Ray Allen.

"Our leadership from our stars, Sam and Ray, has been awful," Karl said. "They're selfish. They don't execute. They think the game is won. They don't pass the ball like we do most of the game. All we've got to do is have some patience and professionalism."

Despite his tiff with Karl, Rivers has said for weeks that Milwaukee is the team to beat in the East. And until the Magic do that, he said, they will continue to be haunted by this franchise.

"They're the best team in the East and it's our job to surpass them somehow," he said. "The thing that they have over us is they've been together. They've played together four to five years now and they have three great scorers. But we've got to find a way to beat them."