EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) _ The teams giving the Charlotte Hornets trouble lately aren't necessarily the likely ones.

While they lost to San Antonio and Dallas in a recent four-game slide, the Hornets also have dropped games to Cleveland, Chicago and Denver in recent weeks.

That's why there was a sense of urgency going into a game against the injury-riddled New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night.

``The way we've played against these kinds of teams, if we had won those games, we'd still be in the hunt for the Central Division,'' veteran forward P.J. Brown said after the Hornets took care of business and beat the Nets 103-88.

Brown and Jamal Mashburn led the way.

Mashburn scored 31 points and Brown added 19 points and 12 rebounds as the Hornets won for the 17th time in 24 games.

``It was important for me to get this team off to a good start,'' said Mashburn, who hit 13 of 18 shots. ``I didn't want to come in here and have a fight on our hands coming down the stretch.''

When Mashburn is scoring, Brown said the team feeds off it.

``He creates so many opportunities for the rest of the team,'' Brown said. ``They start doubling and tripling, that opens up lanes for me and Elden Campbell. It's great to have someone go off like that and set the tone.''

Baron Davis added 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Hornets beat the Nets for the third straight time this season and for the 14th time in 17 games.

Johnny Newman had 26 points and Keith Van Horn 25 for the Nets, who stayed close until late in the third quarter.

After Van Horn hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 66 with 4:31 left in the third quarter, Mashburn scored five points in a 12-6 spurt that gave Charlotte a 78-72 lead heading into the final quarter.

``He really knows what we need and he is starting to prove that now,'' Charlotte coach Paul Silas said of Mashburn. ``It has been a maturing process as the season has gone on. I like where he is right now. He's just taken over.''

Derrick Coleman, returning to the Hornets' lineup for the first time after missing 20 games with a calf injury, ignited a 13-6 run at the start of the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer that came after he missed three of four free throws.

``The main thing for me is to concentrate on these last eight games,'' Coleman said. ``I just need some reps. Eight games and the practices, and I should be ready for the playoffs.''

Eddie Robinson had a big dunk in the fourth quarter spurt, and Davis had a steal and two free throws. Brown added a tip-in and a short jumper as Charlotte built a 91-78 lead.

``We made some runs, but we just couldn't get there,'' Newman said. ``It was a hustle game and they beat us to some loose balls, made some shots off the loose balls.''

Lucious Harris added 12 points and 11 rebounds for New Jersey. Evan Eschmeyer had 12 rebounds.

Notes: There was some controversy because Nets All-Star guard Stephon Marbury did not attend the last two games after having surgery on his left pinkie. However, Dr. Charles Melone, the team's hand specialist, told him to stay home and keep his hand elevated. ... The Nets made Coleman the first choice overall in the 1990 NBA Draft. ... Robinson had 12 points in a reserve role for Charlotte. ... Brown is three rebounds shy of setting a single-season career high (671). ... Charlotte is now 19-3 when scoring more than 100 points.