MILWAUKEE -- Heading into the All-Star break with a three-game winning streak, the Charlotte Hornets wanted to make sure they started off the second half strong, and start a climb up the ladder in the Eastern Conference.

They got off to a good start Friday night, riding 25 points from point guard Kemba Walker and 23 from center Cody Zeller in a 98-95 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center.

"It was a gritty win for us, especially coming off the All-Star break," Zeller said. "We needed this on to get going. Five away games here to start the break. We picked it up and found every energy we could in that fourth quarter."

Walker scored nine of his points in the final quarter as the Hornets opened with a 12-2 run that wiped out an eight-point deficit. His 3-pointer with 6:43 left put Charlotte back in front, 82-80, and he capped off the quarter with a pair of free throws that made it a three-point game with 5.6 seconds to play.

"Everybody made plays tonight," Walker said. "We were down, but we stayed composed and made some big plays."

Milwaukee managed to stay close down the stretch thanks to 10 points from shooting guard Khris Middleton, who finished with 20 and seven assists. After Walker put the Hornets back in front on layup with 5:30 remaining, Middleton nailed a step-back jumper to make it 84-all then, after center Greg Monroe blocked Marvin Williams, put Milwaukee ahead, 86-84 with a driving layup with 4:24 left.

But Zeller, who also scored nine in the fourth, converted a three-point play on the other end, giving Charlotte the lead for good.

"We were down 10 in the third," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "You could just tell the way we were playing that, not necessarily that we'd win, but we had the right approach. We were trying to get good shots, our defense was better."

The Bucks -- and specifically, Middleton -- still had their chances in the final minutes. Middleton went to the line for three free throws with 45 seconds remaining, but he missed the second and instead of tying the game at 94, Milwaukee still trailed by a point.

He also missed a 17-footer with five seconds to go then a 25-footer that would have tied the game at the buzzer.

"Khris had a good look," Kidd said. "Khris had two good looks at the end but (Hornets guard Nicolas) Batum is a good defender.

Milwaukee led by as many as 13 late in the third quarter but was doomed by nine turnovers in the fourth, which Charlotte converted into 15 points.

Forward Jabari Parker was responsible for five of those; marking the only blemish on a night when he tied career highs with 23 points and 11 rebounds -- the first 20/10 night of his career.

He wasn't the only culprit, though, as the Bucks committed 22 turnovers for the game.

"We had seven turnovers in the second quarter and nine in the fourth so we have to take care of the ball," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "We didn't get shots. We got offensive rebounds, but we turned the ball over. We got some good looks, got the offensive rebound but then we threw it out of bounds.

"We have to be able to care of the ball enough to get a shot; we just didn't do that."

NOTES: Bucks coach Jason Kidd kept C Greg Monroe and PG Michael Carter-Williams on the bench, as he looked for ways to reinforce what has been an ineffective second unit this season. ... F John Henson showed improvement during the All-Star break, but he remained sidelined with a sore back. ... Charlotte was playing without F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier in the week. ... Hornets F Marvin Williams was questionable with a sore neck but started and scored 15 points with four rebounds in 30 minutes. Williams . ... Of the Bucks' last 28 games this season, 18 will come at the Bradley Center, where they've won six of their last seven and are 15-8 this season entering Friday. ... The Hornets began the second half seventh in the Eastern Conference, while Milwaukee (22-32) sat in 13th, 5 1/2 games behind the Chicago Bulls for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.