How it happened: The Mavs apparently decided to play playoff-caliber basketball at halftime.

Dallas dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Hornets by a 28-13 margin to turn a three-point halftime deficit into a double-digit lead. The difference was all on the defensive end.

It was way too easy for the boys from the Big Easy in the first half. The Hornets scored 61 points on 57.5 percent shooting – and 34 points on 65-percent shooting in the second quarter alone.

The Mavs, who were called “soft” by coach Rick Carlisle after their last loss to the Hornets, toughened up in the third quarter. New Orleans knocked down only four of 16 shots from the floor while producing only 13 points during the frame.

There wasn’t a letdown after that, either. The Hornets had a hard time putting the ball in the hole in the fourth quarter, when they scored 15 points on 7-of-23 shooting.

Final score of the second half: Mavs 63, Hornets 28.

Scoring points wasn’t much of a problem for the Mavs all night.

Dirk Nowitzki snapped out of a mini-slump – he hadn’t scored more than 20 points in the last five games – to light up the Hornets for 32 points, hitting 10 of 21 shots from the floor and 11 of 12 from the line. He got some help, with six other Mavs also hitting double figures.

What it means: We won’t know for sure until the Lakers-Kings game is over. If the Lakers lose, the Mavs will be the West’s No. 2 seed. If Memphis beats the Clippers, the Grizzlies would be the seventh seed. If Memphis loses, the Mavs would see the Hornets again in the first round. A Lakers win would mean the Mavs are the No. 3 seed and will play Portland in the first round. Sorry, George Karl. The Mavs didn’t slip to the fourth seed. (UPDATE: After blowing a big lead, the Lakers beat the Kings in overtime, so the Mavs will match up with Portland.)

Play of the game: Pick a 3-pointer by Jason Kidd. He made 4-of-6, including a pair on back-to-back possessions late in the third quarter to stretch Dallas’ lead to double digits. That’s significant because Kidd had been in an awful shooting slump. He made only one of his 20 3-point attempts in the previous four games he played this month.

Stat of the night: The Mavs snapped a nine-game losing streak against West playoff teams. Their last win over one of the West’s top eight was Jan. 19 over the Lakers.