ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The Orlando Magic's attitude is sinking to

the level of their won-loss record.

"It's getting to the point where we're going into games feeling

like we're going to lose," Tracy McGrady said after the team's

16th straight defeat, 100-91 to the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday

night.

"That's a bad feeling to have, so frustrating," McGrady said.

"The only thing that's going to change us out of this is a win."

Coach Johnny Davis also sees the defeatism that's overcome his

squad, especially in tough stretches.

"I'd like for us to really show a lot more fight in those

moments," said Davis, winless in six games since taking over for

the fired Doc Rivers.

The teams play again in New Orleans on Wednesday night, and

another Magic loss will match the franchise record for futility.

Orlando lost 17 straight in 1991-92, then drafted Shaquille O'Neal

in the summer.

"I absolutely empathize with the situation," said Hornets

coach Tim Floyd, who had a 49-190 record in two-plus seasons

coaching the Chicago Bulls from 1999-2001.

Baron Davis had 21 points and 11 assists to lead three New

Orleans players with double-doubles. Rookie David West had

season-bests of 14 points and 11 rebounds and P.J. Brown added 13

points and 13 rebounds.

Darrell Armstrong had 10 points. Hours earlier, a judge

dismissed battery and resisting arrest charges against Armstrong,

who was on trial for allegedly striking an Orlando police officer.

"I just want to get back to basketball," Armstrong said. "I

don't have to worry about that anymore."

The Hornets, mired in a shooting slump, reached 100 points for

the first time in eight games. In the paint, they outscored Orlando

52-24 despite being outrebounded 58-50.

Gordan Giricek led Orlando with a season-high 23 points and

Juwan Howard had 16. McGrady had a season-high 15 rebounds, but

shot 6-for-19 for 16 points.

Drew Gooden came off the bench for 11 points and a season-high

14 rebounds.

New Orleans started the Magic on their losing skid with a close

win on Oct. 30. More than four weeks later, the Hornets had to

break out of their shooting woes to make sure they didn't help end

it.

New Orleans began slowly, shooting 1-for-10. By the time the

Hornets made their second shot, they trailed by 10 points.

Orlando didn't allow New Orleans many chances to shoot their way

out of the slump, controlling the boards from the start. The Magic

held a 17-6 rebounding advantage in pushing the lead to 15 points.

"We knew that a lot of shots we missed were easy shots," said

Davis, 1-for-7 in the first quarter. "A lot of those shots, I

should've made."

But New Orleans steadied itself by turning up the defensive

pressure in the second quarter, racking up five steals and drawing

three offensive fouls. Orlando is a good ballhandling squad, but

its 10 turnovers were a season worst for a period.

West's dunk with 2:25 before the break gave the Hornets their

first lead, and New Orleans held a 48-46 halftime advantage.

"We're capable of getting steals in bunches, points in bunches

and hitting a lot of 3s," said David Wesley, who had 17 points and

three steals. He shot only 5-for-15, but was 4-for-7 on

3-pointers.Game notes
Including the preseason and last year's playoffs, the Magic

have lost 24 of their last 26 games -- including 15 straight at

home. ... This was the first game for Orlando's newest assistant

coach, Paul Westhead. He was hired last Friday. ... West and

Orlando's Tyronn Lue were hit with double technicals for scuffling

during a second-quarter pileup.