Elden Campbell the NBA All-Star? If he continues his recent hot streak, it very well could happen.

Campbell led an early Charlotte Hornets? getaway Wednesday night in a 111-87 rout of the Atlanta Hawks and improved on what has been a sizzling three-game stretch.

"I do feel pretty good," said Campbell, who has averaged 23 points and 14.7 rebounds over the last three games.

Campbell put up 22 points and 13 rebounds in Wednesday?s victory, including 16 points in a first half in which the Hornets roared ahead 64-40.

"Just making sure I get off to a good start has been a big key lately," Campbell said. "And staying out of foul trouble has been critical, too."

Campbell?s hot streak has come at a time when he can impress Eastern Conference coaches, if not the voters (he?s ninth in fan balloting). While Philadelphia?s Dikembe Mutombo is easily winning the popular vote for the starting lineup that?s officially released Jan. 26, Campbell could be added by the coaches when the reserves are announced Jan. 29.

Hornets? coach Paul Silas, who can?t vote his own players, thinks Campbell is worthy of such an honor.

"Well, he?s putting up some nice numbers," Silas said. "And if we can keep winning, that should help him.

"He?s really having the best year of his career."

Campbell?s current averages of 15.3 points and 7.9 rebounds give him the best scoring average and third-best rebounding average of his 12-year career.

Point guard Baron Davis thinks Jamal Mashburn?s absence due to injury has created a void Campbell has recently been filling.

"We know we?ve had to go to him," Davis said. "He?s really being aggressive and giving us offensive production."

He certainly did in the opening half, playing a role in a blistering 15-2 stretch that all but ended the game late in the first half.

Campbell and Davis scored four points each in the surge that pushed a 49-34 lead with five minutes left in the opening half to 64-36 with 38.1 seconds to go.

Campbell and the Hornets now have won three of four games on the current five-game homestand that ends with Friday?s 7:30 p.m. game against the Los Angeles Clippers and coach Alvin Gentry of Shelby.

Atlanta fell to 13-21, then found out after the game it would be without reserve forward Toni Kukoc for the next six to eight weeks. Kukoc broke his right wrist driving to the basket early in the fourth quarter.

Nailon selected

Lee Nailon became the third Hornets player to be invited to the Rookie Challenge during All-Star Week.

Nailon, a second-year pro out of TCU, has started 24 times this season in place of the injured Jamal Mashburn and is averaging 11.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

This year?s game ? titled the ?Got milk?? Rookie Challenge ? is scheduled for 4 p.m. Feb. 9 in Philadelphia.

Previous Hornets in the rookie game were George Zidek in 1996 and Baron Davis last season.