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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
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SHOT CHART
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GAME FLOW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Jamal Mashburn is the star of the
Hornets, he's lifted his team back into the Eastern Conference
playoffs and his mother is successfully battling colon cancer.
|  | | Baron Davis had 18 points, seven assists and six steals to help carry the Hornets. |
For Mashburn, things couldn't be much better.
Mashburn scored 31 points Sunday to lead Charlotte to an 85-78
victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference
semifinals, evening the best-of-seven playoff series 2-2.
Game 5 is Tuesday night in Milwaukee and the home team so
far has won every game.
Mashburn, who scored 36 in Game 3, became the first Hornet to
score 30 or more points in consecutive playoff appearances and
helped Charlotte win two second-round games for the first time in
franchise history.
"I'm just a guy playing, just out there doing his job,"
Mashburn said. "And I like doing it here. There's a lot of
camaraderie and everyone's really upbeat and everyone likes each
other. The last time I could say that was in college at Kentucky,
so I guess this is the happiest I've been since then."
Making it more special for Mashburn was that his mother, Helen,
who has battled colon cancer all season, was able to sit courtside
as part of a Mother's Day special. It was just her third game this
year because her illness has prevented her from traveling.
But on Sunday, she was inches away watching her son shed every
defense the Bucks tried while scoring on five of six possessions
down the stretch to lock up the victory.
"As a player, it's nice to have her here, but as a son, it
means so much more," he said. "To see her able to move around and
be active like her old self and be sitting courtside, it's so
special."
Just like Mashburn's play has been in the last two games.
For 3 1/2 years in Miami, the knock on Mashburn was he couldn't
produce in the fourth quarter and he took the blame for so many of
the Heat's playoff failures.
But he's taken steps toward shedding the label this year in
Charlotte and took a huge stride Sunday by scoring nine of his
points in the fourth.
"I think Mash is opening some eyes," Charlotte coach Paul
Silas said. "The playoffs are when reputations are made, and I
think right now he's really making his reputation."
With the game tied at 70, Mashburn hit a turnaround jumper over
Tim Thomas. After Baron Davis hit a 3-pointer as the shot clock
expired to put Charlotte up 75-70, Mashburn scored seven points in
a 1:34 span to give the Hornets an 82-72 lead with 4:20 to play.
He had a tip-in off P.J. Brown's miss, added a jumper, a
one-handed floater over Glenn Robinson and a free throw.
Mashburn finished 11-for-26 from the floor and 9-for-9 from the
free-throw line. He also had eight rebounds and four assists.
"He's tremendous," Davis said. "We're going to ride his
coattails the whole series, it's up to him to make jumpers and hit
big baskets and that's what he did today."
The Bucks tried various defenses on Mashburn on Sunday, but a
double-team in the first half and various combinations of Darvin
Ham, Thomas and Robinson all failed.
"He's doing a number on our guys out there, that's for sure,"
forward Scott Williams said.
But the Bucks also hurt themselves, committing 24 turnovers and
only making one field goal in a five-minute stretch of the fourth
quarter. They also shot 7-for-22 from 3-point range, 7-of-16 from
the line and had poor shooting nights from almost everyone.
Ray Allen scored 19 and Robinson had 17, but Sam Cassell and
Williams only scored eight points each and Ham failed to score or
get a single rebound.
"We had some ugly stats," coach George Karl said. "I am not
happy about how we played, but feeling this way is part of the
process. We've got to come up with some answers before Tuesday."
After making just one field goal in the first half, Allen warmed
up in the third quarter by scoring 12 points and giving the Bucks a
64-60 lead on a driving layup and a 3-pointer on consecutive
possessions.
But Milwaukee got sloppy on its next five trips down the floor.
The Bucks turned the ball over on a shot clock violation, a travel
and two misses by Robinson -- one that resulted in a basket
interference call against him.
"We make it tough on ourselves when we play this sloppy and
turn the ball over and I have a lot to do with that," guard
Cassell said. "We have to do a better job on Mashburn because he
is controlling the game right now."
Game notes
Campbell and Williams, hit with double technicals in Game 3
for shoving, were hit with a pair early in the first quarter for
being physical with each other as they ran down the court. ...
Fearing a small Sunday crowd, the Hornets offered a two-for-one
special on tickets purchased over the Internet. ... At one point in
the first quarter, Brown had eight rebounds -- one more than the
entire Milwaukee team.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Milwaukee Clubhouse
Charlotte Clubhouse
Hornets-Bucks Series Page
RECAPS
Charlotte 85
Milwaukee 78
Philadelphia 84
Toronto 79
LA Lakers 119
Sacramento 113
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Jamal Mashburn powers in an offensive rebound.
avi: 909 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
Baron Davis flies to the rim for a powerful dunk off the break.
avi: 592 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
 Paul Silas says the Hornets have to steal Game 5 from the Bucks.
wav: 242 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jamal Mashburn breaks down the Hornets' performance in Game 4.
wav: 93 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
George Karl says he believes in his team.
wav: 104 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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