Byron Scott accepted his NBA coach of the year award, then guided his team to the second round of the playoffs. Chris Paul had 24 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds, and the New Orleans Hornets held on for a 99-94 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night to win their first-round series in five games.
David West scored 25 for New Orleans and Jannero Pargo had 17, while Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 14 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Devean George added 11 fourth-quarter points as Dallas nearly pulled off an improbable comeback. The Mavs cut a 17-point deficit to three in the final seven minutes. (More NBA All-Star Game stories.)