George Lynch has come out talking. That, it appears, is just what the Hornets needed.

Bolstering the defense with his improving physical play and constant chatter, Lynch helped the Hornets turn another corner Sunday with a 97-79 victory against Memphis that finally brought them back to .500.

It was the Hornets' third straight victory, all on the road, and leaves them 23-23 as they head home for games against Boston on Tuesday and Philadelphia on Thursday. They had not had a break-even record since Dec. 13 and had failed in five attempts to reach .500.

They cleared that obstacle not solely because of Lynch, but players and coaches alike were buzzing about his contribution.

"George has just come in and really helped the defense," coach Paul Silas said. "He's taking everybody else with him.

"He brings such a tenacity to our defense. The talking is what he gives us. You can hear him out there directing traffic, and in these three games we won, we did not let people get (to the inside) as much as we had been."

The Grizzlies shot 46.0 percent, but put up just 18 points in the first quarter, when Charlotte scored 25 to set the tone. Memphis scored 14 in the fourth as the Hornets put the Grizzlies away and pushed the lead to 18.

Memphis turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 19 Charlotte points. The Hornets had seven turnovers.

The Hornets had balanced scoring with six players in double figures, led by Elden Campbell's 19 points. Baron Davis scored 18 with 10 assists. Backup center Jamaal Magloire topped the rebounding with 10.

Lynch, getting his stamina back after missing most of the season's first half while recovering from October foot surgery, has been thrown into a prominent role sooner than he envisioned. An injury to starting wing guard David Wesley (left ankle) prompted position shifts and left Lynch as the starter at small forward.

He had three of the Hornets' seven steals Sunday.

"George is getting his legs back," Silas said. "Before, he was seeing the plays develop but he couldn't get there quickly enough. He's just so tough and strong-minded, and it's infectious."

His teammates have noticed.

"He is active and he can guard smaller guys and bigger guys," Campbell said.

"He talks a ton," Davis said. "That really helps us, and if somebody is out of position, he's telling us. Then we all start talking out there. He hustles all the time, and that's what this team needs."

Lynch said his incessant chatter started 13 years ago in Chapel Hill, right after he arrived at North Carolina.

"In college, it was mandatory for everybody on the team, talking and helping on defense," he said. "I can thank coach (Dean) Smith for that. ...

"It's contagious. It makes the game easier. You can't fall asleep out there. When I was out I noticed that, defensively, we were lacking the intensity to go hard for 48 minutes. We had some players who wanted to do it but we needed one more."

The Hornets, so many times in the past, had needed one more win, too, to get back to .500. Coincidence or not, they got it Sunday.