DALLAS, Texas (AFP) — 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."
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