Magic 106, Lakers 103.

It may go down as just one more regular-season victory, but it felt so much bigger and more meaningful, didn't it? It felt like all these years after Shaq left, the Magic and Dwight Howard are finally back as one of the marquee teams in the NBA. The Magic beat the San Antonio Spurs at home Thursday night and followed it up with the victory over the Lakers -- a team that many experts picked to win the NBA title this season.

"This seemed a lot bigger than any other home game we've played in a long time," said Magic point guard Jameer Nelson, who scored a team-high 27 and should be the NBA's Player of the Week with the way he's carried Orlando over the past several games.

The Magic didn't just beat the Lakers, they beat the Lakers even with Kobe scoring a season-high 41 points. They beat the Lakers even with Dwight spending much of the first half on the bench with foul trouble.

"We beat the top-scoring team in the league on a night when they were playing well," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy pointed out.

But is anybody playing as well as the Magic right now? Let me rephrase that. Is anybody other than the Celtics playing as well as the Magic, who have won four straight and eight of their past nine?

If ever the Magic needed to have a season like this, now is the time. I talked briefly with Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty this past week and asked him about the three-tier venue plan the city and county agreed to last year. It was thought then that all three projects -- a new arena, a new performing arts center and a renovated Citrus Bowl -- would be built simultaneously. Remember the slogan: "Do them all! Do them right! Do them now!"

Well, as of right now, it appears the arena is the only one assured of getting built. As Crotty pointed out, "It's the economy, stupid."

Which is why the Magic need to show they deserve a $400 million building during the toughest economic times since the Great Depression. For that kind of money in this kind of climate, fans don't just want a good team, they want a great one.

As good as the Magic have been this season and last, it's not like this city has fallen in love with them. The Magic entered the game against the Lakers 19th in the league in attendance.

I don't buy this ridiculous Magic rhetoric that they are destined to fly below the radar all season. GM Otis Smith calls his team a bunch of "dirt-workers." That may be the low-key, lunch-pail reputation Smith wants to portray, but it's not the image the Magic should be cultivating. Dirtworkers don't sell tickets; skywalkers do. And right now, the Magic are dancing with the stars.

When Shaq was here, this franchise was one of the biggest draws in the NBA. It can be again with Dwight. No disrespect to Shaq, but Dwight can be every bit the personality Shaq once was. His style of play is more exciting, and he has a better smile and more charisma.

No question about it, Shaq was a one-of-a-kind player -- perhaps the biggest, strongest center to ever play in the NBA. But Dwight, too, is one of a kind. Has there ever been a man so big who jumped so high?

L.A. stole away Orlando's heart and hope a dozen years ago, and it has taken this long to get it back.

This will go down as only one regular-season victory over the Lakers.

But believe me, it was more than that.

Much more.