Game 3 recap: Mavericks 97, Hornets 87

(Hornets lead series 2-1)
* Visit Hornets.com's Courtside Live blog for postgame quotes from both teams.
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com
The big question entering Game 3 was whether New Orleans could continue to play at an extremely high level vs. Dallas, this time in a place where the Hornets haven’t won since 1998.
It didn’t happen. Many of the same shots that swished through the net at the New Orleans Arena clanged off the American Airlines Center rims, the biggest reason why the Hornets couldn’t take a near-insurmountable lead in the series. New Orleans shot only 37.9 percent from the field. All-Stars Chris Paul (4-for-18) and David West (6-for-20) typified the Hornets’ frustrating offensive outing. The only Hornet who made more than half of his shots was Jannero Pargo, who piled up 30 points on 12-for-20 shooting.
New Orleans lost for the 14th consecutive time in Dallas, a streak that the Hornets hope to see end on Sunday. Game 4 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. in Texas. TNT will be broadcasting the game; you can also listen to the Hornets Radio Network’s coverage, beginning with the 8 p.m. pregame show.

Hornets Update
STARTERS
Chris Paul: Dallas did an infinitely better job of contesting his shots in Game 3, compared to the previous contests in New Orleans. The Mavericks prevented him from consistently getting into the lane for easy baskets or dishes to teammates. He went 2-for-9 from the field in each half, finishing the game with 16 points and 10 assists, after scoring 35 and 32 points in the first two games of the series. Some of the floaters he attempted that usually drop rolled in and out of the rim. Dallas went under high screens for Paul, preferring to let him fire from 18-20 feet.
Morris Peterson: With Jannero Pargo rolling, he only played 10 minutes, the least playing time for Mo Pete of the entire season (not including a Dec. 7 game vs. Memphis in which he was injured early after six minutes). He went 1-for-2 for two points.
Peja Stojakovic: Drained three treys and scored 13 points, but was only 1-for-7 from two-point range.
David West: He was out of sync with his shot early, making only two of his first 13 shots. West was better later on, but Dallas will gladly take his scoring 14 points on 20 field-goal attempts. Grabbed nine rebounds in 40 minutes.
Tyson Chandler: Picked up two fouls in the initial 3:05 of the game, and never seemed to get into the flow. Had two dunks for a total of four points and pulled down 11 rebounds in 33 minutes.
RESERVES
Jannero Pargo: The team MVP on this night, hands down, depositing a career-playoff-high 30 points. He provided a huge spark early, leading the charge from a 15-4 deficit to a brief New Orleans lead in the second quarter. Pargo made his first seven shots from the floor en route to getting those 30 points in 33 minutes.
Bonzi Wells: A pretty effective 23 minutes, scoring six points, all in the first half. Also blocked two shots.
Hilton Armstrong: Inconsistent on the boards throughout the regular season, he had six rebounds in 13 minutes. Also had a nice rejection of a Josh Howard layup attempt and a nifty post move against Dirk Nowitzki, but he missed the five-footer that resulted. Picked up three fouls in the first quarter after Chandler had been whistled for two of his own
Julian Wright: Showed his explosive athletic ability when he dunked after catching a teammate’s airballed jump shot. ESPN analyst Hubie Brown said after the play, “When he gets minutes, he can do some spectacular things.” Played 10 minutes. Also drew the defensive assignment on Kidd during Dallas’ final possession of the first half.