If Lee Nailon comes up with another big scoring game at Minnesota today, it's a safe bet the Timberwolves won't be surprised. At least one of his teammates believes the word is getting out around the NBA.

"Lee is no secret to us," forward P.J. Brown said of Nailon, a second-year pro who played sparingly as a rookie last season. "He should be no secret to anybody in the league now.

"It's just the beginning for him. He's learning the whole game right now. This is just the tip of the iceberg."

Nailon had a career-best 27 points Wednesday against Philadelphia. That helped the Hornets to a 94-85 victory and left them with wins in eight of their past 11 road games.

There are no guarantees Nailon will come back strong tonight - after all, he rang up 26 at Portland on Dec.6 but followed with a six-point performance in the next game. Whether he is scoring or not, he will warrant increasing attention, making life easier for teammates.

Nailon, a proven scorer through his college seasons at Texas Christian, is expanding his game. In addition to making 12-of-19 shots, he had nine rebounds and four steals with no turnovers in a 43-minute role against the Sixers.

It was a night that had people talking after Charlotte's victory.

Here's a sample of what they had to say:

Sixers coach Larry Brown: "Nailon killed us. He played great."

Nailon: "I felt real good about my shot. I stayed focused in the shootaround and it carried over into the game. It opens things up for the other guys when I can hit shots."

Coach Paul Silas: "Lee was the key. He didn't have a great game (Tuesday) night (four points on 1-of-5 shooting in a home loss to New York). With us a little shorthanded we need someone to give us a lift and he's doing it.

"He was totally focused. He's capable. I love the kid. He is still young (26) but he's fearless. Our coaches were talking, saying that he may have the softest touch from 8 to 10 feet that we've ever seen. He just has a knack of putting the ball in the hoop."

Notes

Silas and son Stephen Silas will be featured Saturday on "NBA Inside Stuff," NBC's weekly television show. The two, who wore wireless microphones for the program during a recent game, talk about their relationship on and off the court.

Another segment on the special holiday/family edition of the program looks at former Duke star Grant Hill of Orlando.

Hornets guard Baron Davis had his shooting touch back at Philadelphia after hitting less than 50 percent in each of the previous 10 games. He made 9-of-18 shots and scored 19 against the Sixers.