Funny how someone whose nickname is "Big Sleep" can provide a jolt to NBA fans at a time when many of them may be inclined to doze off.

Tracy McGrady took his potential one-man halfpipe competition on the road Wednesday night for the first time since he stole the show in the All-Star Game. Yes, the booing of Kobe Bryant by fans in Philadelphia captured most of the headlines. But nothing captured the imagination of aspiring and perspiring athletes Sunday quite like McGrady's slalom act between Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash in grabbing his pass to himself off the backboard and slamming it in.

That was the weekend's real dunk contest. And what made it so special was that it was so spontaneous.

Gauging McGrady's impact on the Orlando Magic as a gate attraction was no snap at AmericanAirlines Arena, which is known more for its vast stretches of vacant yellow seats than as a brutal place for visiting teams to play the Miami Heat. But fans will come elsewhere. Oh, yes, they'll come.

And when they do, he'll be the reason why.

HE'LL DO IT AGAIN

"I'm expecting people are going to come out and just want to see him do something spectacular," said Magic forward Horace Grant, who knows a thing or two about playing with a top draw from spending most of his career with Michael Jordan and then Shaquille O'Neal.

McGrady had accomplished a similar dunk during a preseason game in 2000 against the Celtics and at least once in practice. And anyone foolish enough to believe the his nationally-televised highlight will be repeated only through the wonder of instant replay had better guess again.

"If I tried it in the All-Star Game, I'll try it in a regular-season game," he said. "I'll try it in a playoff game. I've just got to have confidence, a lot of guts."

It would also help if Alonzo Mourning wasn't waiting for him at the other end. On McGrady's first drive to the basket of the game, the Heat's All-Star center blocked his attempted layup.

Grant said that when the Magic were in New York in December, McGrady caused Spike Lee to jump out of his seat by dunking over Knicks forward Othella Harrington. And Magic coach Doc Rivers doesn't hesitate to place McGrady in the same class as Dominique Wilkins, his former Atlanta Hawks teammate.

EVERY NIGHT?

"He showed what he was capable of," Rivers said. "Now his job and my job and our job is to get him to do that every night at a higher level. That's the one step Tracy has to make -- where he plays at a higher level every night, every minute, every second, and not do it quarter-to-quarter."

McGrady's 36-point effort Tuesday night against the Knicks suggested he was beginning to do just that. However, he followed that up by going 2-of-8 from the floor and missing three of four free throws in the first half as the Heat built a 56-43 lead.

The shrieks of appreciation from newfound fans are welcome. But McGrady and the Magic would rather pick up some wins away from home than anything else.

"It is nice being on the road and being cheered," Rivers admitted. "I was with the Knicks, and we were cheered everywhere we went. I thought it was strange. And I loved it. But I still think home fans should never cheer for the visiting team."

Notice how he never mentioned a thing about not cheering for visiting players.