Brown and Campbell dominated the boards, combining for 40 rebounds as the Charlotte Hornets cruised to a 94-80 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Showing no ill effects of sprained ankle that forced him to miss the Hornets' last game, the 6-11 Brown grabbed a season-high 22 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end.
"I thought we did as good a job controlling the boards as we can," Brown said. "Everyone fed off each other tonight."
 P.J. Brown with one of his 22 rebounds against the Nuggets. Garrett W. Ellwood NBAE/Getty Images |
Campbell had his way with Raef LaFrentz, pulling down 18 rebounds while also adding 21 points.
"Out-rebounding the other team is the game plan every night," Campbell said. "It doesn't work out that way though. You don't expect to do that (out-rebound someone 61-35) every night, but we have the guys that can do that. You have exceptional nights sometimes."
Led by Brown and Campbell, the Hornets posted a commanding 61-35 edge on the boards. They had 21 of those boards on the offensive end.
While Brown and Campbell had their way, Nuggets big men LaFrentz, Scott Williams and James Posey combined for just 18 points and 12 rebounds.
"(Getting out-rebounded) 61-35 was the difference," LaFrentz said. "We didn't do a whole lot of rebounding or a whole lot right tonight. Charlotte is big and physical. We knew we had to rebound tonight, but did not."
Improving Lee Nailon added 16 points and David Wesley 15 for the Hornets, who opened a 54-39 lead at halftime and were not threatened thereafter.
Nick Van Exel netted 24 points, but went just 10-of-28 from the field for Denver, which has lost four straight and eight of its last nine games.
"We were out-rebounded 32-15 by halftime," Nuggets coach Mike Evans said. "We knew it would be key for us. We didn't step up to the challenge. They are one of the most physical teams that we've played this year."
The Nuggets also lost forward George McCloud to an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.
Holding a two-point lead just over six minutes into the second quarter, Charlotte began to take control, scoring the next 10 points to open a 47-35 lead on Jamaal Magloire's 18-footer with 2:37 play before intermission.
Baron Davis scored the Hornets' final seven points of the half for a 54-39 cushion. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
Van Exel, who was held scoreless in the Nuggets' loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday, was one of Denver's few offensive options in this contest. Posey was the club's next leading scorer with 10 points.
In addition to their rebounding problems, the Nuggets shot just 36 percent (32-of-90) from the field, a major reason why they were unable to cut into the deficit after halftime.
Van Exel, who played with a strained back, made a layup, pulling the Nuggets within 58-49 early in the third quarter. But Charlotte scored the next eight points, capped by Nailon's layup with 5:16 left in the period.
Charlotte held a 72-60 lead after three quarters and cruised the rest of the way. The Hornets shot 44 percent (37-of-84) in the contest.