Back pain couldn’t keep David West from taking the court with aggression. The San Antonio Spurs couldn’t stop him from dominating.

“Back in the locker room, right before we break huddle and come out to the game, we said, ‘No excuses,”’ West recalled. “Regardless of how I was feeling, I just knew how important this game was for us as a basketball team. I knew I had to play well. I went out there with the intent to play well and things just went my way.”

Did they ever.

West had career playoff highs of 38 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots, lifting New Orleans to a 101-79 victory over the Spurs on Tuesday night and a 3-2 series lead.

New Orleans looked impressive in winning the first two games at home but stumbled in San Antonio. Back in the Big Easy, the Hornets cruised again.

“We’ve proved all season long we’re one of the better teams in the NBA,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “We had every reason after Games 3 and 4 to fold, but again, being with these guys, they’ve showed this type of resilience all season, so I’m not surprised.”