DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki already is using the past tense when discussing the Dallas Mavericks' first-round series with the New Orleans Hornets. And he's not even the star player who might have to sit out the possible finale.

Yeah, Game 4 went that badly for the Mavs — and that well for the Hornets.

David West scored 10 of his 24 points during a game-breaking stretch early in the third quarter and Paul had 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, leading New Orleans past Dallas 97-84 Sunday night.

The Hornets are headed home with a chance to end the series in Game 5 on Tuesday night. The Mavericks will have to find out Monday whether Jason Kidd will be joining them.

Kidd got a flagrant foul-2 and automatic ejection for taking down Jannero Pargo by his neck on a layup with 7:16 left. The league office will review the play and could suspend him.

"I was just trying to stop him from getting an easy layup," Kidd said.

"That's what he's supposed to do," said Pargo, adding that he "was a little surprised" about the ejection.

In the other NBA playoff games Sunday, it was: Cleveland 100, Washington 97; Phoenix 105, San Antonio 86; and Detroit 93, Philadelphia 84.

The Hornets had lost 14 straight games in Dallas since January 1998. Now they might not have to come back, with the Mavericks are on the brink of a second straight first-round exit.

Nowitzki had 22 points and 13 rebounds and Jason Terry scored 20 points, but they didn't get much help. Josh Howard was 3-for-16 and Kidd had only three points.