Posted on Mon, Apr. 28, 2008
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Hornets throttle Mavs to build a 3-1 lead
West's 24 points carry Hornets to win
By JAIME ARON
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOST-READ STORIES
DALLAS -
David West hardly said a word the last two days. That meant trouble for the Dallas Mavericks.
West let out his pent-up frustration over a poor Game 3 with a determined effort in Game 4, scoring 10 of his 24 points in a quick stretch early in the second half to help the New Orleans Hornets pull away for a 97-84 victory Sunday and a 3-1 lead in the first-round series.
"Everything was stirring up in him," coach Byron Scott said. "He wasn't going to play the way he played in Game 3. We were banking on that. He was in an aggressive mind-set from the start and he came up big."
The Hornets hadn't won in Dallas over 14 tries since January 1998. This victory means they might not have to come back until next season. They can eliminate the Mavericks by winning Game 5 on Tuesday night in New Orleans.
"You want to see if you can hopefully take their life away right from the start," Scott said. "They've got a veteran team so it won't be easy."
Dirk Nowitzki had 22 points and 13 rebounds and Jason Terry scored 20 points, but they didn't get much help. Josh Howard was 3-for-16 and Jason Kidd had only three points, three assists and four rebounds before getting ejected with 7:16 left for a flagrant foul on Jannero Pargo. Thousands of fans bailed out soon after, then a guy down the row from team owner Mark Cuban got tossed, too.
The meltdown - in this game, in this series and since being up 2-0 on Miami in the finals two years ago - might end up costing coach Avery Johnson his job. His Mavs went from scoring 30 points in the first quarter to 40 in the entire second half, putting them on the brink of a second straight first-round exit.
"I don't really have an answer for it," said Nowitzki, exhaling loudly and running his hand through his hair in frustration. "All season long, we've lost leads way too quick.... Everybody has to be in attack mode. You have to make shots to win in this league."
Chris Paul again wasn't as dominant as he was the first two games in New Orleans, but still played a big role in getting the first road win of his playoff career, notching 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Peja Stojakovic scored 19 points and Julian Wright added 11, including a tremendous dunk off a midcourt steal of Jerry Stackhouse, a play that emphasized the difference in the age and athleticism of these teams.
Pargo also scored 11 and Morris Peterson had 10, as the Hornets hit 50 percent of their shots.
West was 10-of-21, but the most important part came at the start of the second half, when New Orleans turned a 48-44 halftime lead into a 64-51 advantage.
