PHOTO/CURTIS WILSON

Charlotte Hornets guard/forward P.J. Hairston has earned a spot in the lineup as a defensive stopper.

Defensive contributions tend to go unnoticed.

Charlotte Hornets guard P.J. Hairston has settled into his second NBA season as a defensive facilitator.

“When you keep doing little things, something big is going to happen in the end,” he said. “That’s how I look at it.”

While Hairston’s lack of scoring has frustrated fans, he scored a three-point basket in overtime of the Hornets’ 109-99 win against the Toronto Raptors.

“This time in this game, it was a win and I hit the big shot,” said Hairston, who scored 14 points on 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 beyond the arc. “It felt good just to have a team victory, and doing things on the defensive end, people don’t see it. I take full credit for it tonight. I’m really excited to see what’s going to happen next.”

Said Hornets (15-10) guard Kemba Walker (27 points, seven assists, and six rebounds against): “It’s important. We need guys who are going to do things that are not going to show up on the stats sheet. P.J. is definitely one of them. He’s been playing great for us. It might not show in his numbers, but he’s out there guarding the best players every night for us doing the best that he can. I’m happy for him. He’s playing really well.”

Shooting 34.9 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from beyond the arc, Hairston averages 5.0 points in the 22 games he’s played. Last season, he averaged 5.6 points per game and shot 30.1 percent from the three-point range and 32.3 percent from the field.

“P.J. made a couple of mistakes early (against Toronto), but his level of purpose or discipline defensively is going up, too,” said Hornets coach Steve Clifford. “He’s getting more shots. He’s figuring out ways he can find shots. He’s a good competitor. He has the size and strength to guard primary scorers. You have to have those guys. He is technically getting better. He’s bright. He’s been here now, so he knows what we’re doing. He’s really off to a good start this season.”

Hairston, who has started every game he’s played this season, guards the opposition’s primary scorer, which Clifford has emphasized is invaluable to the Hornets’ success. In the absence of the Hornets primary defender Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, the Hornets lacked a go-to defender. Hairston has adapted to that role.

“Now that I know that I have to guard ‘the guy’ every night, it’s nothing really new to me,” said Hairston. “Now I’m kind of used to it…I already know what’s expected of me, and it’s just up to me to put my mind to it.”

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