Call it a comfort zone or perhaps just a shooter's roll. Either way, Bryce Drew is warming up and the Hornets are collecting the dividends.

"Bryce has been terrific," coach Paul Silas said.

Playing limited minutes in a backup role at guard, Drew is on a mini-hot streak in the past five games.

He set a franchise record with nine consecutive three-pointers, leading the team in scoring once and hitting double figures three times.

His timely work has helped the bench make an increasingly strong impact in recent weeks. It represents a turnaround for Drew, who started his first Charlotte season on shaky ground and now appears to be making himself at home as he and the Hornets await a game today in Houston at 8:30.

"Lately I've been getting some good looks," Drew said Thursday of his shooting opportunities.

"I try to shoot the same shot every time, whether it's in practice or a game. So I'm concentrating more on my mechanics than whether the ball goes in or not."

Lately it has been, especially from three-point range. Drew, a 6-4 fourth-year pro from Valparaiso, plays limited minutes (12.9) backing up starting point guard Baron Davis and, occasionally, wing guard David Wesley. He shoots better on three-pointers (48.3 percent) than overall (44.9), and he would have the NBA's third highest percentage if he had made enough bonus shots to qualify.

He is selective with his shots and has recently provided instant offense.

He led the Hornets' scoring for the first time with 15 in Tuesday's 78-73 victory at San Antonio. He made 6-of-9 shots and hit each of his three three-pointer attempts, running his string to nine without a miss and breaking a team record of seven which Kelly Tripucka and Glen Rice shared.

"He's looking for his shot when he has it," Silas said. "Before, he would be open and turn the shots down. Now when he's open, he's letting it fly."

Drew said his increasing familiarity with his teammates and the offense has helped.

"It obviously helps, the more you play with the (other) players," he said. "And the more you play for the coach the more you know what's expected of you. You get a better feel for how the offense is going and where the shots are coming from.

"But you have to be selective. You know when you go in you're not going to get a lot of looks. So you want to make sure that, with the ones you do get, percentage-wise you have a good chance of knocking them down. You don't want to come in and disrupt the flow of other players and just start jacking up shots."

Drew said he doesn't think about streaks, saying that can "mess with a shooter's mind."

He is realistic enough to know he won't always be on a roll.

"It's a long season and there are high points and low points," he said. "You're going to have hot stretches and cold stretches. You just work and try to be consistent, and hopefully the percentages will work out."

Starting lineupsp>

Hornets Pos. Rockets
Baron Davis PG Steve Francis
David Wesley SG Cuttino Mobley
Elden Campbell C Kelvin Cato
P.J. Brown PF Eddie Griffin
Lee Nailon SF Kenny Thomas


Scouting report

? The Rockets had lost four straight and six of seven when they arrived in Charlotte last Saturday. They turned it around with timely shooting. Cuttino Mobley's buzzer jumper at the end of regulation forced overtime in a 111-104 win over the Hornets.