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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- When the game is on the line, the
Charlotte Hornets know where to find the points they need. They
turn to Jamal Mashburn.
|  | | Charlotte's Jamal Mashburn, right, is ready to beat the best defense Vancouver's Shareef Abdur-Rahim can muster.
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With 23 points, including 10 in the final period, Mashburn led
the Hornets in scoring for the 29th time this season as Charlotte
held off Vancouver 100-95 Wednesday night.
David Wesley added 20 points and four other Charlotte players
reached double figures, but it was Mashburn who repeatedly
frustrated the Grizzlies' defense.
"Jamal stepped up and hit some tough, contested shots," said
Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who led Vancouver with 23 points, followed by
Mike Bibby with 22 and Michael Dickerson with 20. "There's not
much you can do when Jamal's in the zone."
The Hornets opened an 80-70 lead when Mashburn hit his third
consecutive jumper of the fourth quarter with 9:13 left. The Grizzlies
narrowed Charlotte's advantage to 89-84 on Abdur-Rahim's driving
layup with 3:43 left, but the Hornets ran off seven consecutive points
to clinch the victory.
"Our defense wasn't all that bad," said Vancouver coach Sidney
Lowe. "They just hit shots with hands in their face. Mashburn and
Wesley are tough shooters. Charlotte did what good teams do -- they
turned it up defensively and made the shots when they had to."
After trailing by 10 early in the first quarter, Charlotte
rallied behind Wesley and Mashburn to lead 58-52 at the half.
Wesley scored six of his 13 first-half points in the final 3:06 of
the second quarter after the Grizzlies took their last lead of the
game at 47-46 on Bibby's 3-pointer from 29 feet with 4:17 left.
Mashburn picked up his second foul with 8:17 left in the first
quarter and sat for the rest of the period, but he returned to
score all 10 of his first-half points in the second quarter.
With a 6-0 run fueled by two jumpers from Bibby, the Grizzlies
tied the game at 66 with 4:05 left in the third period. But
Charlotte responded with a 8-2 spurt to close the quarter and led
74-68 on Eddie Robinson's alley-oop dunk with 1.1 seconds left.
With both Mashburn and Elden Campbell in first-quarter foul
trouble, the Hornets got significant contributions from Jamaal
Magloire and Robinson, who finished with 10 and 11 points,
respectively.
"The bench play has been a real plus for us, especially during
this stretch," Wesley said.
The Hornets have won 13 of 15 to go 11 games above .500 for the
first time since they were 20-9 on Dec. 26.
"E-Rob has been a big factor coming in off the bench -- high-energy, making a lot of baskets -- and it definitely makes a
difference," Wesley said.
Game notes
The Hornets continue to flourish with Derrick Coleman on
the sidelines. Charlotte is 11-2 since Coleman went on the injured
list for the second time this season. Overall, the Hornets are
12-22 when he plays, 26-5 when he doesn't. ... Charlotte avenged a
99-89 defeat at Vancouver on Jan. 3, the Grizzlies' only victory in
10 meetings dating to 1995. Vancouver remains the only NBA team
never to have beaten the Hornets on their home court.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Vancouver Clubhouse
Charlotte Clubhouse
RECAPS
Washington 103
Detroit 96
Charlotte 100
Vancouver 95
Orlando 97
Cleveland 87
Miami 114
Sacramento 104
San Antonio 106
Minnesota 100
Philadelphia 85
Chicago 67
Denver 95
Indiana 83
Phoenix 84
Portland 79
Utah 102
Golden State 83
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