Suns sting Spurs to stay alive in NBA as Mavs sink to the brink

Boris Diaw and Raja Bell kept the Phoenix Suns in the NBA playoffs for one more game while the Dallas Mavericks fell to the edge of elimination Sunday at the hands of the New Orleans Hornets.

The host Suns defeated defending NBA champion San Antonio 105-86 to avoid being eliminated while New Orleans ripped host Dallas 97-84 to give the Hornets a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.

The Mavericks, losers in eight road playoff games in a row, must win Tuesday at New Orleans or a team that reached the 2006 NBA Finals and won 67 games in 2006-2007 will fall in round one of the playoffs for the second year in a row.

The Hornets have not won a playoff series since 2002 and had not won a game in Dallas in 12 tries since 1998, but David West scored 24 points and Serbian sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic added 19 while Chris Paul had 16 for New Orleans.

"Our team was a lot more aggressive on the defensive end," West said. "We have to have the same approach and the same focus (in game five). We have to be aggressive. We have to be the ones to land the first punch."

Dallas made a late-season trade for Jason Kidd, who was ejected for a flagrant foul in the fourth quarter with Dallas trailing by 16 points, and Phoenix traded for Shaquille O'Neal, who has been unable to stop the Spurs.

With neither move paying off, both clubs are on the verge of elimination.

At Phoenix, Bell scored 27 points while France's Diaw added 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to power the Suns, but NBA teams down 3-0 in a best-of-seven series are 0-83 and only thrice have even forced a game seven.

"I know this series isn't over," Bell said. "Until they win four, we still have a chance."

The Suns, who will try to stay alive by winning Tuesday in San Antonio, outscored the Spurs 34-13 in the first quarter and cruised to victory.

"We understood that we had to come out early and be productive," Bell said. "We dug ourselves a big hole in the last game and we were a bit embarrassed after last game's performance at home in a game that we definitely needed to have. We came out and played really hard and really well."

Diaw also turned in an impressive defensive performance against fellow Frenchman Tony Parker, the Spurs star guard who scored 41 points in San Antonio's game three triumph but managed only 18 Sunday.

"It really feels good to win. For me that's all that matters," Diaw said. "We proved that we can beat them. Now we just have to do it again.

"We were angry and frustrated that we lost three games because we've always felt that we can beat them. It's a battle but we know that if we take care defensively we'll be fine."

Phoenix won twice at San Antonio in the regular season, the only NBA club to do so. The Spurs went 34-7 in home games this season and beat the Suns there in the first two playoff games, the opener in double overtime.

"We (must) play like it's our last game," Diaw said. "It's our last game anyway if we don't win it. It's a matter of life or death."

Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, who was ejected before the finish, praised Diaw and Bell for stepping up with the season at stake.

"Boris obviously dominated the game on both ends of the floor," D'Antoni said. "He was phenomenal. His defense on Parker and then being able to kind of direct the offense from the low post, that was huge.

"I thought Raja - his aggressiveness coming out shooting, playing - did an unbelievable job. We got one. But we have got a long ways to go yet."

Tim Duncan added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who could not get a lift from playmaker Parker.

"They just played harder than us in the first quarter," Parker said. "They were first to every loose ball. They were making every shot.

"That's what we had to expect, that they're going to show a reaction. Now it's our turn to take that game and make some improvements and match their energy at home and play for our crowd."

Steve Nash scored 15 points and "Shaq" collected 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, making up for the struggles of Amare Stoudemire, who managed only seven points on 3-of-11 shooting.

The Suns jumped ahead 20-5 and never looked back, keeping the Spurs to 21 percent shooting in the opening quarter.

"They played better than we did and they were more aggressive right out of the gate," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I don't think they were flat. We just played our (butts) off and I thought that's what they did."

Detroit rallied in the second half to beat upset-minded Philadelphia 93-84 Sunday and level their NBA playoff series while the Cleveland Cavaliers moved to the brink of advancing.

In the East Tayshaun Prince scored 23 points while Rasheed Wallace added 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Pistons rallied from a 46-36 half-time deficit by outscoring the 76ers 34-16 in the third quarter to seize command for good.

"We knew we had to take our time," Pistons star Richard Hamilton said. "In the first half we were rushing our shots. In the second half we took our time. We're a veteran team. We've been here before. We know what we have to do. We just have to do it."

Hamilton and Chauncey Billups each contributed 18 points and seven assists for the Pistons, who matched the 76ers at 2-2 in their Eastern Conference opening round best-of-seven series with game five Tuesday in Detroit.

Sunday's other East matchup saw LeBron James score 34 points and Delonte West adding a career playoff-high 21, including the game-winning basket with 5.4 seconds remaining that gave Cleveland a 100-97 victory over Washington.

"The play was really drawn up for everybody just to get out of the way and let LeBron do what he does best," West said. "Fortunately, that's one thing that he does best is he finds the open man."

The Cavaliers seized a 3-1 lead in the series and the defending Eastern Conference champions can advance to the second round with a home triumph in game five on Wednesday.

The Pistons, who lost to Cleveland in last year's East final, are looking to move themselves to the brink of the next round as well but Hamilton said they must continue to play as they did when they made the comeback Sunday.

"We have to stay focused. We have to come out and hit first," he said. "We have to stay patient with the ball, make plays and look for each other on the court. If we do that we'll be fine."

Thaddeus Young led Philadelphia with 15 points while Andre Igoudala managed only 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting and Samuel Dalembert added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the 76ers.

At Washington, the winning play for Cleveland came after the Wizards rallied with six points to equalize at 97-97 on a Gilbert Arenas bank shot with 28 seconds remaining.

James waited until the closing seconds, them drove to the middle and attracted two defenders, leaving West open for the game winner.

"I'm pretty sure everybody in the gym, including their defense, thought he was going to take the last shot," West said. "Sometimes we forget this guy has great court vision. He made the right play. That's what makes him a great player."

James, who also contributed 12 rebounds and seven assists, said the game winner will give West an edge for later in the playoffs.

"That shot did more for his confidence," James said. "Just knowing I have the confidence in him in that situation matters. It means a lot more to him than anything."

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown loved it as well.

"It's about trusting your teammates," he said. "We know he's going to get double-teamed. If he drives and kicks, be ready to lock and load and knock that shot down."

The Wizards had the ball with five seconds remaining and went to Arenas, but his 3-point attempt over West bounced off the rim at the final buzzer.

Washington's DeShawn Stevenson fouled James form behind and knocked the headband off his had with a blow from behind in the second quarter. Stevenson rose from the floor and ran toward James but teammates restrained him.

"I didn't even know that he hit me with a closed fist until one of my teammates told me," James said. "If we was in the park, something definitely would have escalated.

"I guess that's what they want to do. They want to hurt LeBron James this series. It ain't working. They continue to try to hurt me, but I continue to get up. It definitely sparked our team."

Antawn Jamison scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Wizards, who are on the brink of losing a first-round series for the ninth time in their past 10 tries and being bounced out by Cleveland for the third year in a row.

Washington's only playoff series victory since 1982 came in 2005 when they defeated Chicago in six games.