Dirk Nowitzki already is using the past tense when discussing the Dallas Mavericks' first-round series with the New Orleans Hornets. And he's not even the star player who might have to sit out the possible finale.
Yeah, Game 4 went that badly for the Mavs - and that well for the Hornets.
David West scored 10 of his 24 points during a game-breaking stretch early in the third quarter and Chris Paul had 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, leading New Orleans past Dallas 97-84 on Sunday night.
The Hornets are headed home with a chance to end the series in Game 5 tomorrow. The Mavericks will find out today whether Jason Kidd will be joining them.
Kidd got a flagrant foul-2 and automatic ejection for taking down Jannero Pargo by his neck on a layup with 7:16 left. The league office will review the play and could suspend him. "I was just trying to stop him from getting an easy layup," Kidd said.
"That's what he's supposed to do," said Pargo, adding that he "was a little surprised" about the ejection.
In the other National Basketball Association playoff games on Sunday, it was: Cleveland 100, Washington 97 (Cleveland leads 3-1); Phoenix 105, San Antonio 86 (San Antonio leads 3-1); and Detroit 93, Philadelphia 84 (Series tied 2-2).
The Hornets had lost 14 straight games in Dallas since January 1998. Now they might not have to come back, with the Mavericks on the brink of a second straight first-round exit.
"It's a great feeling to be up 3-1, but it doesn't mean too much right now," Paul said. "It's tough to close out a team, to get that fourth win. That's what coach has been preaching to us. We feel pretty confident going back in front of our fans."
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 Kidd had only three points, three assists and four rebounds.
The Mavs went from scoring 30 points in the first quarter to 14 in the second quarter, then 40 in the entire second half.
"This sport is still about scoring points and we just didn't have a great offensive series, I guess," Nowitzki said, his word choice certainly eye-raising.
Dallas' 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.
"I don't really have an answer for it," said Nowitzki, exhaling loudly and running a hand through his hair in frustration.
Peja Stojakovic scored 19 points for New Orleans 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 agility of these teams.
"I thought Julian was athletic enough to match up with Josh and Jerry," Hornets coach Byron Scott said.
Pargo also scored 11 and Morris Peterson had 10.
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.
West made all four shots he took in that spurt and added a pair of free throws. All came against Erick Dampier.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily April 29, 2008)