Paul Shines in Playoff Debut as Hornets Win

So much for playoff experience. Chris Paul had 35 points and 10 assists in his first career playoff game last night, lifting the New Orleans Hornets to a 104-92 come-from-behind victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their first-round series. David West also  scored 23 points to help New Orleans storm back from a 12-point halftime deficit and win going away.

Dirk Nowitzki had his way with New Orleans early and finished with 31 points, but scored only four during Dallas' fourth-quarter collapse. Josh Howard added 17 points for the Mavericks, a team that hasn't missed the playoffs in eight seasons and was in the finals two years ago. All-Star point guard Jason Kidd finished with 11 points and nine assists. (More NBA stories.)