The Orlando Magic looked like they went into a fight with one hand ? no, make that both hands ? tied behind their back.

It's tough to win when you lead with your face.

The Dallas Mavericks didn't even need a good performance Saturday night to send the Magic home for Christmas with nothing but coal in their stocking, a 102-80 yawner that hardly seemed in doubt.

When he returns this week after missing the last three games with a lower back strain, Tracy McGrady is going to be greeted like Santa Claus with a bag full of presents. That's how badly they need him now.

Without him ? and with Grant Hill gone for the season, Darrell Armstrong unable to move, and Mike Miller moving gingerly ? the Magic had no chance.

In a performance that looked similar to Friday night's loss at home to the Washington Wizards, the Magic (13-16) labored to score, shot poorly and prayed for a miracle that never happened.

The only difference was that Friday night, they had a chance because Washington wasn't much better. Against a good team like Dallas (18-9), it looked hopeless.

"It's tough to make shots when you don't have your guys who create shots," said Magic Coach Doc Rivers. "We were just trying to create points any way we could. It's tough, but I thought we never gave up. We kept trying to find a way, and that's positive."

Miller, who was questionable before the game, had 20 points and four rebounds, but nobody else in the starting lineup scored more than eight points. Reserve center Patrick Ewing had 16 points and five rebounds. Forward Horace Grant had 11 rebounds in just 19 minutes.

The Mavs, who won their sixth consecutive game, used a balanced scoring attack, led by reserve point guard Tim Hardaway with 18 points. They had six players in double figures. Their Big Three of Dirk Nowitzki (12 points), Michael Finley (16 points) and Steve Nash (15 points) were all below their average.

"They just had a lot more firepower than we did tonight,'' Miller said. "Anytime you go out there, you have a chance to win ? you have to think like that ? but by the fourth quarter tonight, it was pretty obvious where this was going.''

The Magic's last lead was 19-18 when Pat Garrity made a pair of free throws with 3:15 remaining in the first quarter. The Mavs led by 17 points at halftime, and the Magic never got closer than 12 points after intermission.

By going to a zone defense in the second half, they slowed the Mavs running game, keeping at least a glimmer of hope.

"The Mavs go 10 deep. You can't beat a team like that on pick and rolls the whole night, but that's all we've got now with T-Mac out,'' said Grant. "You need that inside-out game, which we don't have. It'll be different when he comes back.''

The Magic are struggling both in the frontcourt and the backcourt. Armstrong, their starting point guard, could hardly move by the second half when his back tightened up again. Miller, who sustained a bruised lower back Friday, was limping again after the game.

"We're banged up, no question,'' Armstrong said. "But the guys we had out there kept battling. You don't use that as an excuse. You just keep playing hard and hope for the best.''

The Mavs were so confident, they started substituting liberally early in the third quarter, sending little-used second-year forward Donnell Harvey ? who played one season at the University of Florida before entering the NBA Draft in 2000 ? into the game when Nowitzki twisted his right ankle.

Going into the fourth quarter, Miller was the only Magic player in double figures. Ewing joined him in the fourth, getting a dunk that closed the deficit to 12 points early in the period.

Andrew DeClercq showed some fight early, tangling under the basket with Juwan Howard. They were called for a double technical foul.

A few minutes later, DeClercq raced down court to try and stop a breakaway basket by Nowitzki, and both went flying into the first row of seats. Although a foul was called, Dallas Coach Don Nelson was so upset that no flagrant foul was called, he had to be restrained.