Back to normal? The Hornets hope not.

Michael Jordan has come and gone, making his first return visit to Charlotte, scoring 28 points in Washington's 99-93 loss Wednesday and swelling the Charlotte Coliseum with its first capacity crowd of the season. But the Hornets are hoping for some carry-over today as they move on from that high drama.

As they return to the Coliseum for today's 7:30 p.m. game against NBA Central Division leader Milwaukee, they would like to break the pre-Jordan patterns that had befallen them at home. They had won three of 10 games in the arena before facing Washington. And they had an average paid attendance of 10,180 - more than 13,000 below Wednesday's number - for those 10.

"(Today's) game is something to build on," coach Paul Silas said Thursday. "We've got to start building something here at home.

"We're playing a very good team again. They're better than us right now. But with all these home games coming up, we really need to get something going."

The Hornets will play 10 of their next 14 games at the Coliseum. They haven't won successive games there since opening the season with victories over Cleveland and New York.

While Silas doesn't blame that on the light attendance - the paid average is the league's second lowest - he knows crowds such as Wednesday's can boost performance. His players have said little about it this season, during the months of uncertainty over the future home of the franchise, but have indicated they too believe home support makes a difference.

"It's easy to get charged up for these kinds of games," center Elden Campbell said after getting 17 points and 13 rebounds against Washington. "I love it. It gets hot out there on the floor, with all the people in the building.

"We wanted to show the people that we're playing hard and trying to get it done. Hopefully they'll come back. Maybe they liked what they saw and said, `It's not that bad out here.' But either way we've got to get going at home."

"It would be nice," point guard Baron Davis said. "The crowd support really helped us (against Washington). But with or without the crowd, we have to figure out how to play better at home."

Silas said he was hopeful but not optimistic.

"The Wednesday game was because of Mike," he said of Jordan's impact. "Everybody wanted to see him; they didn't necessarily want to see the Hornets. You can't diminish the fact that it was the first time he had been here in 31/2 years.

"It's difficult because you don't know what's going to transpire (tonight) and from here on in. If the crowds come back the way they were before, it's a downer."

The Hornets had one of their better home performances against the Wizards, getting double-figure scoring from six players and shooting 59.7 percent. Davis had 15 points and 15 assists, although he limped through much of the game after bruising his right knee early.

"It's a lot better," he said Thursday.

"He'll have to play with a little pain but he'll play," Silas said.

NOTES: The Hornets presented a check for $10,000 to The Observer's Empty Stocking Fund charity during Wednesday's game. Davis matched his career high for assists with 15 against the Wizards.