PHOENIX, March 10 (Ticker) -- Jamal Mashburn scored 26 points, including three clutch jumpers down the stretch, as the Charlotte Hornets held off the Phoenix Suns, 88-82, for their first victory in America West Arena in more than six years.

The Hornets led by 22 points early in the third quarter but saw that advantage whittled to 79-76 with 3:11 remaining on a floater by Stephon Marbury, who scored 22 points.

Mashburn responded with a jumper and, after Marbury and David Wesley exchanged free throws, made another jumper for an 84-77 lead with 1:14 to go.

NBA TV highlights from Hornets-Suns: 56k | 300k Baron Davis puts it up in traffic, speeding his way to 18 points and 11 assists in Phoenix. Barry Gossage NBAE/Getty Images

Phoenix's Dan Majerle made a 3-pointer, but Mashburn sealed it with a rainbow jumper over Shawn Marion with 48 seconds to play.

"I felt I should have gone to the line a little more, but that's neither here nor there," said Mashburn, who made 11-of-28 shots but just 2-of-2 free throws.

"We couldn't make shots there for a while," Hornets coach Paul Silas said. "Then Mash got hot there at the end. I think the praise needs to be heaped on him. He made big shots when we needed them."

Baron Davis had 18 points and 11 assists and Jamaal Magloire had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets, who won in Phoenix for the first time since December 12, 1995. Charlotte snapped a three-game losing streak.

"When Davis is in the lineup, I feel more comfortable because it is another shooter in there and they can’t all bunch up on me," Mashburn said.

Shawn Marion had his fourth straight double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns, who were hammered on the boards in the first half.

"It started in the first half with rebounds," Suns coach Frank Johnson said. "They had 13 offensive rebounds at halftime and we had 15 total rebounds. They had 12 second-chance points and we had zero."

The Suns trailed 26-24 after one period and made just 4-of-14 shots in the second quarter. The Hornets already had built a 10-point lead before finishing the first half with a 6-0 surge for a 54-38 cushion.

"I think now we've got our complement of players and our chemistry works well," Mashburn said. "We play off another pretty well."

Another 6-0 burst, capped by two free throws by Davis, opened the third quarter and gave Charlotte its largest lead at 60-38 with 9:58 remaining. But the Hornets made just 6-of-21 shots in the period and the Suns closed to 71-58 entering the final 12 minutes.

"We can't put ourselves in that sitaution," Marbury said. "The way we played in the second half, that's how we have to play for 48 minutes."

P.J. Brown grabbed 14 rebounds for Charlotte, which shot just 38.5 percent (35-of-91) but held a 48-44 edge on the glass and committed only seven turnovers.

Tom Gugliotta had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Phoenix, which shot 43 percent (32-of-75) and committed 17 turnovers.