National Basketball Association

Nowitzki gets 22, Mavs hold off Warriors 103-99

Published Nov. 28, 2013 5:35 a.m. ET

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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.

''It's 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. ''I'm 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 didn't 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 Monday's loss to Denver and didn't 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 percent. ''I took some bad shots in the last few minutes, so I'll 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 wouldn't 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 Brooklyn's 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.