Rich DeVos stuck his head in the office of Orlando Magic coach Doc Rivers before a recent home game and playfully blurted out, "Just wanted to let you know I'm still here."

DeVos, who turns 76 Monday, has had no lack of potential buyers since his announcement Jan. 12 that he is putting the Magic up for sale. Perhaps the most intriguing -- and from an Orlando perspective, the most threatening -- suitor is Bruton Smith, the owner of Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., and five other NASCAR tracks.

Smith told the Charlotte Observer he and the DeVos family have had discussions and that his intentions are to move the Magic to Charlotte if the Hornets leave for New Orleans. A vote by owners of NBA franchises on that request by Hornets co-owners George Shinn and Ray Wooldridge is expected in early April.

Smith, whose fortune was estimated at $1 billion last year by Forbes magazine, said he has not discussed his plan to buy the Magic with league officials.

"The timing's not there to have done that," he told the Observer. "I do believe (NBA commissioner) David Stern knows about this. I'm not sure, but I've been led to believe (by third parties) that he does."

Other groups that have expressed interest in purchasing the Magic include one featuring Calvin Hill, the father of Grant Hill, and another headed by former New York Knicks executive David Checketts.

PESKY PACERS

The only Eastern Conference team with a 2-0 record against the Magic this season is the Indiana Pacers, who will host them Tuesday night. The Pacers took a 117-107 decision on their home court the first week of the season and defeated the Magic 89-82 in Orlando the day after Christmas.

"Indiana is a tough team for us because they have shooting, they have quickness, and they have size," Rivers said.

Jermaine O'Neal averaged 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in those wins. But the Pacers will have a much different look from the last time they faced the Magic.

Al Harrington, who came off the bench to score 23 points in that game, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Jan. 23 at Boston and is out for the year. That injury was a large reason why the Pacers obtained center Brad Miller as part of a six-player trade with the Chicago Bulls.

Tracy McGrady was the only Magic player who scored more than 10 points against the Pacers in their most recent meeting. Excluding his 11-of-19 shooting performance, the Magic were 19 of 58 from the floor (32.8 percent) and 4 of 16 from 3-point range.

RARE OCCASION

McGrady's 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against the Philadelphia 76ers marked only the third time a Magic player has posted a triple-double since Anthony Bowie's tainted achievement in 1996.

Bo Outlaw had 25 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against the New Jersey Nets in 1998 and 10 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists two years later against the Celtics. Bowie, now 38 and playing overseas, called a timeout in the closing seconds with the Magic well ahead of the Detroit Pistons so he could set up a play to give him his 10th assist after getting 20 points and 10 rebounds in a rare start.

Grant Hill came close Nov. 11 with 21 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists against the Los Angeles Lakers. Former Magic forward Ben Wallace had an unorthodox triple-double with 10 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocked shots for the Pistons a week ago in their loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

McGrady had a total of 43 double-doubles with the Toronto Raptors and the Magic since coming into the league in 1997.

MORE TV CHANGES

With the Knicks all but a cinch to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1987, the Magic's home game March 31 against them has been dropped by NBC. Tipoff time remains 3 p.m., although the local television coverage of the game has yet to be determined.

The April 11 home game against the Nets has been added by TNT and will now start at 8. The Magic had not been originally scheduled to appear on cable nationally beyond their March 19 meeting with the Bucks on TBS.