Like old times. That's what a lot of people expect to find today with a sellout crowd in the Charlotte Coliseum for a Hornets game, making a lot of noise, generating an adrenaline rush for the players and a playoff atmosphere for the fans.

It's not those old times the Hornets have to be wary of this time, though, as they await the 8p.m. tipoff against the Washington Wizards (WAXN, Ch.64). They're anxious to play again in front of a packed house at home, a commonplace scenario through most of Charlotte's 14 seasons in the NBA. But it's those Michael Jordan Plays Charlotte memories that create concern.

Jordan went from Wilmington to Chapel Hill and helped North Carolina to a national championship during his three seasons as a Tar Heel. Since then, it seems, the state's favorite son has done little but torment the Hornets in his visits.

He did it in two tenures with the Chicago Bulls, becoming the Hornets' all-time opponent leader in scoring average at 31.7 points per game. Now at age 38, he's back in a different role as a Wizard, and while his scoring has diminished somewhat, his impact appears to be as potent as ever.

Coming out of retirement this season with his move from the Washington front office to the court, Jordan has found success once again. The Wizards (14-12) come to town today with a franchise record-tying winning streak of nine games.

"They've got the greatest player who ever played, who is still good enough to lead," Hornets coach Paul Silas said. "You have to have a player on your team who just won't let you lose. And he won't let them lose."

Jordan can still be The Man when he needs to be. He proved it again Saturday in New York, hitting a 19-foot jumper with 3.2 seconds left and providing the edge in Washington's 87-86 victory. But it is the mental, more than the physical, that Silas and others believe make him the primary architect of the Wizards' turnaround.

Silas said he has seen it develop from a distance since Nov.20, when the Hornets won 95-88 in Washington. At the time, the Wizards were struggling, on the way to an eight-game losing streak that left Jordan with his longest string of NBA losses. Jordan scored 30 that night.

"They were in total disarray at that point," Silas said. "I think guys felt they weren't getting any touches, that too much of the focus was on Mike at that point.

"When you're out of sync, definitely mentally, you're not going to be very good. Now they're in sync and you see the difference. The game is so mental that once that comes together, the physical part follows. There's nothing magical about it, it just happens.

"It's just their chemistry. They've got shooters, people who can put the ball in the hoop. They've got rebounders. And I guess everybody is playing their role now and you just get on a roll.

"Mike had to find his niche with the guys he was playing with. And he was taking so much on his shoulders early that the other guys were not stepping up. Now they're stepping up more. He doesn't have as big a role, but when they need it he's still there. It's just a comfort level that everybody has."

The Wizards have gotten strong play from a number of players, enough so the team has continued to win even with three rotation players out with injuries (Richard Hamilton, Christian Laettner, Courtney Alexander).

Two other former Tar Heels, guard Hubert Davis and rookie center Brendan Haywood, have played key roles in filling the void. Popeye Jones, a 6-foot-8 power forward who moved into the starting lineup when Laettner went out, has helped center Jahidi White attack the boards. Former Clemson guard Chris Whitney provides points from three-point range.

Jordan at 23.2 points per game and Hamilton at 19.8 continue to be the Wizards' only double-figure scorers. Hamilton will miss tonight's game.

The team's development has not taken the spotlight off Jordan's overall contribution.

"It's one reason I came from upstairs to down, to change the attitude about competing and winning," Jordan told the Washington Post. "We're playing hard, and when you play hard you get rewarded. I came down to show that and to be a part of it, and (my teammates) are starting to understand it."

His coach, Doug Collins, had a similar explanation for the Post.

Said Collins: "Michael has changed that whole (losing) landscape now. With him in the locker room it's all about winning, and our guys have ridden that wave. They understand that when he's out there playing he expects to win, and he expects the people out there with him to feel the same way."

That's what the Hornets (12-15) will be dealing with tonight. It's not necessarily the ideal way to try to bust out of a skid that has produced four losses in the past five games. But the buzz created by Jordan's return, the full house and the national TV audience on TNT is not lost on them.

"We'll probably play with a lot more energy with a packed house," said point guard Baron Davis, who scored 32 in Charlotte's win in the earlier meeting. "But no matter who's playing or what size the crowd is, we've got to start winning games."