Mickles: N.O. finds edge looking at replay

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: May 14, 2008 - Page: 1C - UPDATED: 9:21 a.m.

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NEW ORLEANS — An hour before tipoff of Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinal series between the New Orleans Hornets and San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, a TV set in the Hornets’ locker room was tuned in to a replay of Game 4.

While one wouldn’t expect that 20-point drubbing the Hornets took Sunday night to be playing in their locker room before the most important game in franchise history, David West was among those looking up at the screen.

Not that it was going to change anything that happened that night, West couldn’t help but steal a glance here and there.

As painful as that 100-80 loss to the Spurs was Sunday night, West was doing anything he could to perhaps gain an edge before the pivotal fifth game of the best-of-seven series in New Orleans Arena.

“This is about the third or fourth time I’ve watched it,” admitted West, the Hornets’ All-Star forward. “It’s not too hard to watch. Every time I watch it, I see something we can change and possibly do a little bit better.”

His professionalism and diligence paid off handsomely a couple of hours later.

West, who scored just 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting in Sunday night’s loss, was a man on a mission in New Orleans’ 101-79 victory over the Spurs. The win gave the Hornets a 3-2 lead over the defending champion Spurs.

In a game the Hornets absolutely had to have, considering they have to go back to San Antonio for Game 6 on Thursday night, West made sure they wouldn’t have their backs to the wall for that one. He poured in a playoff career-high 38 points, 14 rebounds, five blocked shots and five assists.

While admitting that it was the best he’s seen the five-year veteran play, Hornets coach Byron Scott wasn’t all that surprised by what he had just seen.

“He was upset with the way he played in Game 4. He wasn’t happy at all with his performance,” Scott said. “If you’ve been around him long enough, you knew he was going to come back with a big game. He carried us.”

While West dropped in 22 points in the first half, the Spurs still held a 47-44 halftime advantage. But with West and fellow All-Star Chris Paul turning up the heat in the third quarter, the Hornets transformed that three-point deficit into a 72-58 cushion by the end of the period.

In that scintillating quarter, Paul had 12 points and three assists and West added eight points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks in an impressive 28-11 surge that turned the game in their favor.

A sequence by West midway through the fourth quarter was typical of how good he was. He blew by Spurs power forward Tim Duncan, one of the best defensive players in the game, for a reverse layup and an 83-70 lead and 17 seconds later swatted away a Duncan shot on the blocks.