The struggling Boston Celtics try to halt a four-game losing streak tonight, as they visit Steve Francis and the surprising Orlando Magic at TD Waterhouse Centre.

On Sunday, the Celtics fell to the Miami Heat, 106-104, at AmericanAirlines Arena. Raef LaFrentz poured in a season-high 21 points along with eight rebounds for Boston, while Paul Pierce finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists in Boston's fourth straight defeat.

Ricky Davis ended with 16 points in Sunday's loss for Boston, while point guard Gary Payton registered 15 points, six rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes of action.

Boston is just 1-4 on the road this season.

The Magic have won two straight and four of their last five overall. Orlando, which enters tonight's contest with a 5-1 record at home, plays the second of a three-game homestand. The Magic are off to their best start since 1998-99, when they were 9-3 at the same point of the season.

On Saturday, Orlando used a strong fourth quarter to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in a battle at TD Waterhouse Centre. Francis buried a pair of clutch jump shots down the stretch and finished with 26 points, leading the Magic to a 105-99 win.

Francis scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, including six with less than one minute to go, for the Magic in the win over the Sixers. Grant Hill played an instrumental role late in the contest and ended with a game-high 29 points, while Dwight Howard, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the win, Orlando's 11th in 17 tries versus the Sixers.

Hill, who missed all of the 2003-04 season and played just 47 games in the previous three seasons, has scored in double-digits in all 12 of Orlando's games this season. He is averaging 20.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists for the Magic.

Last season, Boston won three of its four contests with the Magic. Overall, the home team has won 10 of the last 12 games in this series. The Celtics have lost three of four and four of their last six at Orlando.