ATLANTA, April 6 (Ticker) -- Jamal Mashburn scored 26 points and P.J. Brown added 15 and 14 rebounds as the Charlotte Hornets climbed within a one-half game of fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a 93-86 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks.

After Shareef Abdur-Rahim tied it at 66-66 with a pair of free throws with 96 seconds left in the third quarter, Brown grabbed an offensive rebound, drew a foul and made two from the line to put Charlotte ahead for good, 68-66, with 48 seconds to play.

Jamaal Magloire completed a three-point play to make it 71-66 entering the fourth quarter, and Atlanta got no closer thereafter.

Charlotte (41-35) is a one-half game behind Orlando (41-34) for fourth place and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Magloire chipped in 13 points and seven rebounds for the Hornets, who won their third straight and clinched at least a .500 record for the 10th consecutive season.

NBA TV highlights from Hornets-Hawks: 56k | 300k P.J. Brown was huge on offense, and helped force Shareef Abdur-Rahim into a rough shooting night. Scott Cunningham NBAE/Getty Images

The Hornets, who likely will move to New Orleans after the season, are just 19-19 at the half-filled Charlotte Coliseum but 22-16 on the road.

"It really doesnt give you an edge," Mashburn said. "Our home court is a little fickle with our fans. At this particular stage with the East being the way it is, we are able to win on the road, so it doesnt really matter. The baskets are always the same height wherever you go, especially playoff time. You have to play to win."

Abdur-Rahim collected 21 points and 12 rebounds and Jason Terry had 19 points for Atlanta, which has lost four of its last five home meetings with Charlotte.

Ira Newble tied a career high with 16 points and set a personal best with 12 rebounds in the loss.

Charlotte jumped out to a 15-point lead late in the first quarter, but Atlanta stormed back and tied it at halftime, 49-49, behind several second-chance baskets.

The Hornets shot 51 percent in the first half (21-of-41) while the Hawks clicked at just 39 percent (20-of-51). But Atlanta had a 15-2 advantage on the offensive glass and put back many of its misses.

"Thats the difference in the game," Hornets coach Paul Silas said. "The second-chance points in the first half were killing us. The guys just started putting bodies on people (in the second half)."

Charlotte limited Atlanta to five offensive boards after halftime.

The Hawks took their biggest advantage at 53-50 on a jumper by Hanno Mottola early in the third quarter, but the Hornets countered with a 14-4 burst and took a 64-57 lead on a jumper by Mashburn with 6:01 left in the period.

Atlanta scored nine of the next 11 points before Brown put Charlotte ahead for good with a pair of free throws.

"Slow start. Outside of that, it was a big-time battle," Hawks coach Lon Kruger said. "We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole, we got back into it by halftime. Then a good start to the third quarter. They made a push. Theyre a big, strong, physical basketball team that we have to play a little better to beat. They had too many stretches where we didnt do what we needed to do. I think Charlotte is awful good."

Charlotte shot 45 percent overall (35-of-78) and limited Atlanta to 36 percent (32-of-88), including 16 percent from the arc (3-of-19).

"Charlotte had a lot to do with our shots not falling," Kruger said. "We rushed some shots early. But theres a reason for that. We just have to finish opportunities that we get and have to not give them second chances."

"We just didnt finish plays tonight as a basketball team," Terry added. "Against a good ballclub like them -- theyre probably the best team in the East -- you have to finish plays when they give you the opportunity. I thought we just didnt make shots early. We didnt finish opportunities to make easy baskets. You are not going to beat a ballclub like that."

Charlotte won for the 12th time in 15 games despite having its starting backcourt of Baron Davis and David Wesley combine for just 14 points on 6-of-26 shooting.

"I guess you can look at it one way -- were doing what it takes to win," Brown said. "Were winning pretty games and were winning ugly games. Somehow weve got to get our erratic play out of our systems as soon as possible. We are fortunate that we have six more games to iron things out and be on track for the playoffs."