target for criticism. It was never louder than the

DALLAS -- Shane Larkin dribbled the length of the court in a full sprint and hit a running shot off one foot just before the third-quarter buzzer. When the Dallas Mavericks needed to stop a Golden State rally in the fourth quarter, they looked for defensive help from the rookie point guard playing in just his sixth game. The best game so far in Dallas for the son of Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin came on a night when Monta Ellis needed a little help. Dirk Nowitzki scored 22 points, Larkin made several big plays in the second half and Ellis found a way to contribute with his passing to help the Mavericks hold off the Warriors 103-99 Wednesday night. "Its not even about the points or the assists," said Larkin, who scored seven to go with six assists. "I think I just gave my best energy effort off the bench and helped the team get going in that way." Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle thinks Larkin helped the crowd, too -- literally. After his shot from just inside the 3-point line put Dallas up 11, a fan made one from half court to win a 70-inch TV during the break between quarters. "I mean, he went from end to end in less than 4 seconds to get that shot and that was a huge momentum shot," Carlisle said. "Im sure it helped that guy throw in that half-court shot at the break. It helped create a lot of positive energy in the building." Ellis finished with a season-low four points on 2-of-16 shooting, but he had 10 assists, including one to get Samuel Dalembert a dunk and push Dallas dwindling lead to 101-95 with 1:21 remaining. Stephen Curry led Golden State with 29 points and the Warriors stayed close a night after a tough one-point win in New Orleans. Klay Thompson and David Lee had 20 points each, with Lee adding 12 rebounds and Thompson a career-high 10. The Warriors rallied from 17 down midway through the fourth quarter, but never got closer than four. Thompson shot an air ball on a 3-point attempt in one trip, and Dalembert blocked a shot from long range by Draymond Green with 9.4 seconds left. Golden State kept the ball after the block, but the Warriors missed twice in a mad scramble to the final buzzer. "One or two possessions away from taking the lead, have a chance to get some stops and win the game," said Curry, who was 9 of 19 from the field, including 6 of 10 from 3-point range. "You had that effort in the fourth quarter and you really didnt show anything in the first three quarters." Carlisle broke his rotation and replaced starter Jose Calderon with Larkin on defensive possessions in the final 3 minutes. It worked on consecutive Golden State trips, with the Mavericks forcing a pair of misses by Thompson, including the air ball from long range. "He just told me to get a stop," said Larkin, who was pulled quickly in the first half of Mondays loss to Denver and didnt play much more. "It showed me he has a lot of confidence in me, so that was good." The Mavericks were in control at 99-82 with about 5 minutes left when the Warriors ran off 13 straight points to make it close. Thompson started the run with a 3-pointer, and it really got going when DeJuan Blair was called for a foul in the backcourt and Ellis was given a technical for an outburst after the whistle. Curry hit the free throw, Thompson hit another from long range and Curry dribbled between two defenders coming off a screen and hit the jumper to get the Warriors within 99-95. "The intensity that you played with in the fourth, you have to play with it for 48 minutes no matter if a back-to-back or what," said Thompson, who was 5 of 16 from the field as the Warriors shot 42 per cent. "I took some bad shots in the last few minutes, so Ill learn from it." Ellis missed a layup in Dallas first chance to extend the 99-95 lead. The next time down, he drove the lane again, but found Dalembert for a dunk and his 10th assist. "Just have to continue to play," Ellis said. "Just one of those nights where they just wouldnt go in. Coach just told me to stay aggressive and I did." Blair had 11 points and led Dallas with nine rebounds. He had seven offensive boards, including several that helped keep the Mavericks in front in the fourth quarter. NOTES: Nowitzki went back in front of Brooklyns Kevin Garnett for 14th place on the NBA scoring list. Garnett had moved in front on Tuesday, but fell behind after scoring just four points against the Lakers on Wednesday night. Nowitzki is at 25,383 points. Garnett has 25,368. ... Warriors C Andrew Bogut returned from a one-game suspension for his role in a scuffle with Portland and had eight points and 10 boards. Fake Kd Shoes . You can, too, Clay Buchholz, if we ignore the sixth inning of Game 2. Doug Fister and Jake Peavy, youre up next in Game 4 and theres a lot to live up to. Cheap Air Max 95 China .Cameron sustained his third concussion in three seasons last week on a hit by Oakland safety Brandion Ross, who was fined $22,050 by the NFL for the helmet-to-helmet blow. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-paul-george-shoes.html . Its Wu-Tang and Outkast in the final. Now, we all know youve played the role of Andre 3000 in the past, does that mean Outkast is getting your vote?AJ: You know it, you know it. Cheap Air Max 1 . The New York Rangers centre had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators ending a 13-game goal-scoring drought. Paul George Shoes Cheap .Y. -- Phil Jackson lost out on his preferred coach, but hes working hard on keeping his star player. RENTON, Wash. -- Richard Sherman finally got his moment of being a top pick. He stood on the stage with spotlights beaming directly on his bow tie. With the coach on one side and general manager on the other, Sherman held up a Seattle Seahawks jersey with his named across the back. When Sherman entered the NFL as a fifth-rounder, there was no fanfare. That all came on Wednesday as Sherman became the latest piece of the Super Bowl champions to be locked up for the long term. "I guess this is how it feels to be a first rounder," Sherman said after signing a four-year contract extension with the Seahawks that will make him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in NFL history. Much in the tenor of doing things the way he wants, Sherman unveiled the extension on his website before the team could make the announcement. The two-time, first-team All-Pro selection wrote the deal will pay him $57.4 million with $40 million guaranteed and will keep him in a Seahawks uniform through the 2018 season. The deal includes a reported $11 million signing bonus. Its a massive deal for a player who earned $375,000 in base salary as a rookie in 2011. But Sherman insisted the money will not change the approach or attitude that has made him one of the top defensive players in football and a magnet for attention. "Im still the guy scrapping for a spot. You never lose that mentality. You can take a ragged dog that has been living on the streets for 10 years and put him in a brand new house with steak and lobster every night and hes still the ragged dog that you got off the streets," Sherman said. "So Im still the ragged dog off the street. That mentality isnt something that I can change I dont think. Even I wanted to, I cant do it, Its not a switch that I have." Shermans deal wraps up a solid off-season for the Seahawks prior to the NFL draft. Seattle re-signed defensive end Michael Bennett before the start of free agency. They then reached extensions with coach Pete Carroll through 2016 and a four-year, $40 million extension with All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas. "Id like to thank Paul Allen for anteing up," Sherman said. Sherman said it was important to get the extension donee before the start of the 2014 season and take any lingering doubt about his future out of the equation.dddddddddddd He made a point of thanking nearly everyone on the Seahawks defence during his opening remarks. Sherman wanted to spend his career playing alongside Thomas and Kam Chancellor as part of a secondary that has developed into the best in the league. Sherman and Thomas will be under contract through 2018 and Chancellor is under contract through 2017. "It was headed in the right direction for several weeks," Seattle general manager John Schneider said. "I thought it was time to get it tied up and let everybody move forward." Despite the pedigree of being a fifth-round pick, the one thing Sherman has never lacked is bravado. Whether it was getting in the face of Tom Brady after a win in 2012, off-season social media arguments with other players or his comments about Michael Crabtree after the NFC championship game, Sherman has never hidden the swagger. "The thing I struggle with Richard on is his confidence level," Schneider joked. Displaying his self-confidence has made Sherman a target for criticism. It was never louder than the gap between the NFC championship and Super Bowl when Shermans shouting postgame rant on national television overshadowed the play he made to clinch the conference title against rival San Francisco. But all those moments have made Sherman known outside of football and his consecutive seasons with eight interceptions. Its why he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine and invited to the White House Correspondents dinner last weekend. "Its a great statement about a young man that demonstrated an extraordinary belief in himself and dedication to be a nerd in high school way back in his Dominguez (High School) days when he was a track star and a football player," Carroll said. "He was always in the classroom working on his stuff. He had a real vision on what he could become way back then and see it come all the way through to this day today, it is a new beginning for Richard and his career with all that goes along that makes this guy up. Hes really special." ' ' '