(My Sportsbook) - The Pacers are off the best start in their NBA history. The Orlando Magic are closing out a long road trip with a wounded star. There will be no sympathy from the hungry young Pacers on Friday night.

Indiana has won eight straight games entering Friday's contest and has a perfect 6-0 mark at home this season. The Pacers are coming off a 97-95 road win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

Al Harrington scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half as the Pacers matched their best start in franchise history. Jermaine O'Neal added 20 points for Indiana, which tied a team record set in the 1969-70 ABA season.

"If we play consistent every night, we have an opportunity to win 65. That's our goal," O'Neal said. "I know that's a large number."

The Pacers have been killing teams with a strong inside game and solid perimeter defense. O'Neal and Brad Miller have been rock-solid inside, while Ron Artest has been locking down the opposition's best perimeter player with regularity. Indiana beat the Raptors on the board, outrebounding Toronto 51-40.

Orlando is 2-3 on the current trip and 4-4 on the road this season after a 98-84 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. The Magic were outrebounded 49-34 and thoroughly whipped in almost all areas. Tracy McGrady scored 33 points in the losing effort, but the real concern for Orlando is Grant Hill.

For the second time in three games, Hill was forced to leave a game due to soreness in his surgically-repaired left ankle. He played nine minutes of the first quarter before leaving the game.

It seems the problem is really with back-to-back games. Three straight times the Magic have been in such a scenario, and each time Hill has left the second game.

"It's been crazy, man," Hill told the Orlando Sentinel. "On one hand, the bone, the fracture, is healed. I'm not having any problems with that. It's the best news in the world. Everything but the ankle bone is sore."

What is causing the soreness appears to be the tendon in the ankle that is located closer to the back of his heel near the Achilles tendon. He could be experiencing chronic tendintis due to the constant strain of the regular season. Hill's left ankle is noticeably bigger than his right one because of extra calcium, and that puts a strain on the ligaments and tendons in the ankle.

"I feel the rough patches are behind me," Hill said optimistically. "I'm just getting used to playing in NBA games. I am frustrated, but I have to also understand it's a long season. But it kills me not to play."

Orlando may have to live with Hill playing every other night for the rest of the regular season. He is questionable for tonight's action.

This is the first meeting of the season between the teams. Indiana won three of the four clashes between the squads last season and owns a 27-22 edge in the all-time series.