CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte Hornets got a pep talk from owner Michael Jordan on Tuesday after returning from a winless Western trip.
Jordan's message apparently got through loud and clear.
The Hornets responded with one of their best performances of the season Wednesday night, routing the Atlanta Hawks 107-84 to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Guard Kemba Walker scored 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, and center Cody Zeller had his second double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Hornets took command quickly and led by as many as 35.
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Hornets coach Steve Clifford said the performance, which included a 17-2 start in the first seven minutes, was "as complete a game as we've probably played all year."
Jordan had used the phrase "disconnected" when talking to the team.
"He said a lot of things, and I thought he was totally on point," Clifford said. "He basically said you've got to get out of yourself and into the team. That's what this thing is all about, not some guy playing for stats or whatever. He told them, 'We don't have any superstars, but we have a lot of really good players and we can be a pretty good team if everybody is team-first.'"
Zeller said Jordan was particularly focused on the defensive effort; the Hornets had allowed 100 or more points in five of the losses during the seven-game skid.
"It was a good talk," Zeller said. "Losing seven games in a row we were all kinda in a funk and he said we just had to get back to our winning ways playing defense.
"It all starts on the defensive end. That's what we were doing when we were winning, and we kinda got away from that. We weren't as intense as we needed to be, as connected, as tied together on the road trip. So it was good to kinda get that behind us and hopefully we'll put together a winning streak now."
The Hornets (18-20) had lost 10 of their previous 12.
Guard Jeremy Lin also scored 19 for Charlotte, while guard Nicolas Batum finished with six points and 10 assists in his second game back from a toe injury.
"A lot of guys played well," Clifford said. "I thought Cody was terrific. Kemba was obviously good. And with Nic's presence, we're a different team when he's out there. He's not back in rhythm yet, but his presence and demeanor, his decision-making, it's so important to us. Not too many guys can make the type of plays that he makes."
The Hawks (23-16) had won two straight and nine of their previous 12. However, they seemed totally disinterested from the very beginning.
In falling behind 17-2, the Hawks were 1-for-11 from the field and committed six turnovers on their first 15 possessions. They wound up shooting 37 percent from the field for the game. Charlotte shot 43.9 percent overall.
Forward Paul Millsap was the only Hawk to score in double figures, finishing with 20 points. Center Al Horford, who had 33 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, finished with two points and two rebounds in 28 minutes. He was a minus-30 in plus-minus.
"It was just one of those nights," Horford said. "They were the hungrier team, and it showed from the beginning. We didn't come out with the right focus that we needed."
"They put a good one on us tonight, and we have to be a lot better," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "Our whole group did not play well. From top to bottom, I don't think anybody feels real great about how we played."
NOTES: The Hawks won both previous meetings this season, 97-94 in Atlanta on Oct. 30 and 94-92 in Charlotte on Nov. 1. The teams will meet one more time in the regular season, on Feb. 28 at Atlanta. ... Hawks G Thabo Sefolosha (ankle/wrist) suited up but did not play. ... The Hornets are getting more and more hopeful that F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (shoulder surgery) will return at some point in the regular season. He has been cleared for non-contact drills and is working out. After undergoing surgery in October, it was feared he would miss the entire season. ... Hawks F Paul Millsap scored 20 points and is now 27 points shy of reaching the 10,000 mark for his career. ... The Hornets' game operations staff paid tribute to the late David Bowie by playing his songs at timeouts throughout the evening. ... Hornets G Nicolas Batum had a rare four-point play. ... The Hornets will play at New Orleans on Friday. ... The Hawks will play at Milwaukee on Friday.
