Chris Paul's Play, Mavs' Missed Free Throws Keys to Hornets Win

Chris Paul was dazzling on Wednesday against Dallas, in what really was a must-win for the Hornets if they were going to have any sort of confidence in their ability to play with the top teams as the season goes on. Paul dragged his team to a win with 39 points, on 14-for-23 shooting, including three of four from three-point land.

But as great as Paul was and as below average as Dallas was (Dirk Nowitzki was held to just 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting), if we're going to be honest, his Hornets were fairly fortunate to be able to pull this one out.

Jason Terry had 18 in the fourth quarter (and 35 in the game), which was more than a sufficient replacement for Nowitzki's disappearance, and in fact, should have been enough for the Mavs to come away with the victory. But with 13 seconds left and a two-point lead, Terry was fouled, and missed one of two.

Paul turned it over on the next possession, and appeared to be fouled on the play, but got no call from the officials. With just nine seconds left now, and the Mavs up three headed to the free throw line, David West used some choice words to let the referees know they should have blown the whistle there, and picked up a technical.

If Dallas makes just one of their next three free throw attempts, it's a two possession game, and with so little time left, it surely goes in the books as a W for the Mavericks. But incredibly, they missed all three. Terry missed the technical free throw, and Jose Juan Barea -- a 94% free throw shooter coning in -- missed both of his.

New Orleans freed Peja Stojakovic on the next possession for a three, which he calmly drained to send it into OT. Riding that momentum, the Hornets pulled away in the extra period for an ultimately gritty, and much-needed victory.

The upcoming schedule isn't exactly easy for this team, as it includes road games against the Lakers and Suns, sandwiched by home contests against the Raptors and Blazers. But if they end up going on a little winning streak and surprising some teams that (on paper) appear to have the advantage, you can point to Paul's performance in this one -- along with a very fortunate late-game stretch -- as the starting point.