Jason Terry gets his first start of the series and helps hold Hornets guard Chris Paul to 0-for-4 shooting in the first quarter. Paul draws the crowd's ire after he appeared to shove Dirk Nowitzki out of bounds as both were chasing a long pass. Terry gets in Paul's face after the incident, further inciting the home crowd.

TOP SCORERS

Mavs: Nowitzki 9

Hornets: Pargo 5

The Hornets heat up to start the period and lead midway through. The Mavs then go on an 11-2 run, capped by a Devean George 3-pointer, to take a 45-38 lead. The Mavs maintain the seven-point advantage at halftime after Dirk Nowitzki ignites the crowd by swishing a long jumper with 5.4 seconds left.

TOP SCORERS

Mavs: Kidd 6

Hornets: Wells 6

A 9-2 run gives the Mavs a 58-45 lead with 8:43 left in the period. After a flurry by the Hornets, Jason Terry finishes off a fast break with an emphatic dunk to push the lead to 60-52. Dirk Nowitzki went down hard a second time when Jannero Pargo clips him in the head with 5:13 left, but the Mavs maintain their composure and momentum.

TOP SCORERS

Mavs: Nowitzki 9

Hornets: Pargo 11

A Jason Terry 3-pointer with 9:20 left pushes the Mavs' lead to 82-65. The lead shrinks to 90-83 after the Mavs go more than five minutes without a field goal. Terry breaks the slump with a 3-pointer followed by a Dirk Nowitzki fadeaway jumper. Big men Erick Dampier and Tyson Chandler have to be separated with 27 seconds left, but the game is no longer in doubt.

TOP SCORERS

Mavs: Nowitzki, Terry 10

Hornets: Pargo 9

Jason Kidd got a little help, from Jason Terry of all people. It was Terry who helped out on defense against Chris Paul, which seemed to have a trickle-down effect. New Orleans had no points in the paint in the first quarter, which set the tone. Kidd also had 11 rebounds.

Clearly it went to Kidd as Paul had his first stinker after averaging 33.5 points and 13.5 assists in the first two games. Kidd also survived a nasty bump on his forehead, suffered early in the fourth quarter.

Jason Kidd: 8 points, 5 assists, 2 turnovers

Chris Paul: 16 points, 10 assists, 1 turnover

Eddie Sefko

Some eye-catching plays Friday. If you didn't catch them, here's what you missed:

High rise: Josh Howard was the center of attention Friday _ and not for what he did on the court. But he had one highlight moment. Early in the second quarter, he drove into the heart of the New Orleans defense and threw down a one-handed tomahawk dunk to end a Hornets run.

Three's Company: Midway through the third, with the Hornets making another run, Jason Kidd stole the ball and tipped it to Dirk Nowitzki. His outlet pass hit a streaking Jason Terry in stride, and his dunk pushed the Mavericks back to an eight-point lead.

Take that: Nowitzki did a lot to hurt the Hornets this evening. But with 6:45 left in the final period, his pump fake got David West in the air. Nowitzki hit the 15-foot fadeaway even though West came down on him before he got off the shot. The free throw was good to complete the three-point play to give the Mavericks a 15-point lead.

Eddie Sefko

26.3: The Hornets' first-quarter shooting percentage.

2: Second-half field goals by Josh Howard, his first of the series.

5:06: Stretch the Mavs went without a field goal in the fourth quarter while the Hornets drew within seven.

4-of-19: Combined shooting of the Hornets' Chris Paul and David West at halftime when the Mavs led, 47-40.