What? Did you think Patrick Ewing would shed some tears while reminiscing about his days as a New York Knick?

Think he was going to give the media a tour of his favorite Manhattan spots?

Imagine anything from him besides his continent-wide grin, a few niceties and some babble about another game in his 17-year career?

Come on, now. Ewing is still Ewing -- focused, determined and thrifty with his words. Now a role player for the Magic, the 7-footer returns to Madison Square Garden for a game at 7 tonight against his former team. It will be the second time Ewing has played here since he was traded after the 1999-2000 season. He received a wonderful ovation last season when he returned with the Seattle SuperSonics.

"It was very emotional," Ewing said. "They tried to make me cry."

He gave the big grin but no tears.

"I don't think about it," Ewing said of his return tonight. "I get ready the same as I always do."

As much as he denies it, this is a big game for Ewing, 39. It has to be. New York always will be a special place to him, because that is where he hatched his stardom. It's where fans don't remember Ewing as a seven-points-per-game scorer. To Knicks fans, he's the high-scoring, dominant offensive player with the defensive skills to match, an intimidator who often willed the team to victory.

"He told us we better get a win for him," Magic guard Tracy McGrady said.

Ewing is chasing that elusive championship. It's the main reason he signed a two-year deal with the Magic in the off-season.

With Grant Hill out for the season with left-ankle problems, Ewing figures not to get his chance at a title until next season, if then. He is now saying that 2002-2003 will be his final season after hinting that he might play two more years after next season.

Of course, his pride won't let him give up on this season.

"I don't think it's going to be delayed," Ewing said of his championship dream. "Tracy's still here. We feel we have a lot of other pieces to still have a very good team."

Some might laugh at such a thought, but that's Ewing. He's stubborn that way. That is why basketball fans, especially New Yorkers, respect him.

That stubbornness also led some frustrated fans to blame Ewing for never getting a title as a Knick. He gave them 15 years of excellence and became one of the NBA's 50 greatest players here. He's one of the greatest players never to win a title.

A reporter asked Magic Coach Doc Rivers whether it was "unfortunate" that Ewing has such a fate.

"Not unfortunate; it's unfair," said Rivers, who played with Ewing on the 1993-94 Knicks team that lost to the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. "I've always thought that. Blame me, Charles Smith, Rolando Blackman, Greg Anthony and Charles Oakley for not winning a title.

"Don't blame Patrick Ewing because he did his job. If he would have had better players, he would have won one."

Now, Ewing is playing out his career with the Magic, playing 16.7 minutes per game, still fighting despite his diminished skills.

Rivers says Ewing is happier, more vocal now -- surprisingly so. Ewing is without burden and setting an example.

There's no better example of this than when Ewing got off the plane at 6 a.m. after a recent red-eye flight from Seattle to Orlando and then asked assistant coach Johnny Davis to meet him at the gym.

"Later this evening?" Davis asked.

"No, now," Ewing said.

The two then went to RDV Sportsplex and practiced for 90 minutes.

"Might as well get a workout in rather than be lethargic," Ewing said.

The desire has not changed. That's at least worthy of a standing ovation tonight