. We reallly want to play with pace.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Ron Rivera is staying in Carolina after leading the Panthers to their first playoff appearance since 2008. The Panthers rewarded "Riverboat Ron" on Tuesday with a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2017 season after Carolina finished 12-4 this season and won the NFC South championship. Carolina lost at home in the divisional playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers. Rivera started the season on the hot seat after a 1-3 start, but the Panthers rebounded to win 11 of their final 12 regular season games to earn a first-round bye in the playoffs. Rivera had one year left on the four-year, $11.2 million contract he signed in 2011 when first hired as head coach. Financial details of the new deal were not immediately available. "The improvement of our team has been reflected in the progress of the record over the last three seasons under Ron and we look forward to building upon that foundation," Panthers owner Jerry Richardson said in a release. Rivera is 25-23 in three seasons as the Panthers head coach. The decision to extend Rivera isnt surprising. Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman said two days after the season ended he had "ultimate faith" in Rivera as the teams coach. He made good on that statement this week, giving Rivera three additional seasons at the helm. "The team has shown improvement under Ron each year and he is deserving of the recognition that he has received for the 2013 season," Gettleman said in the release. "We are pleased and excited with the continuity this extension brings." The 52-year-old Rivera went 6-10 and 7-9 in his first two seasons in Carolina, starting those seasons 1-5 and 1-6 respectively. After Carolina stumbled out of the blocks this year with another poor start there was talk about Riveras future with the team. But following a road win at Minnesota in Week 5, the Panthers got hot behind quarterback Cam Newton and a stifling defence led by middle linebacker Luke Kuechly. Rivera did his part, too. He took on a gamblers mentality after the slow start often going for it -- and succeeding -- on fourth downs, earning him the nickname "Riverboat Ron." "I have been very clear about how much I have enjoyed living in Charlotte and working for this organization," Rivera said in the release. "I very much appreciate the support and confidence Mr. Richardson and Dave Gettleman have shown in me and our staff." Rivera quickly deflected praise from this past season, saying "Any success we have enjoyed is the result of a team effort by players, coaches, scouts and the entire organization, and our ultimate goal remains winning the Super Bowl." The next challenge for Rivera will be sustaining that success. Since joining the NFL in 1995, the Panthers have never been to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The extension comes two days after Rivera led his team to a victory in the Pro Bowl. Cheap Jerseys From China . Not that he was complaining. Davis had 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high eight blocks, and the New Orleans Pelicans emphatically snapped a three-game skid with a 135-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. Fake China Jerseys . -- LeBron James warned the Orlando Magic to stop double-teaming him and ignoring James Jones. http://www.jerseyscheapcustom.com/ .com) - Sergio Agueros 63rd-minute goal was enough to lift Manchester City to a 1-0 win over 10-man Manchester United on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. Fake Jerseys 2020 .4 seconds left and dribbled up court, weaving through Pitts defence. Wholesale Custom Jerseys . 1. CAVALIERS: At 19-20, theyre a mess. Watched the game Tuesday night vs. Phoenix and their defence was poor (107 points and 52 per cent for Suns). Where is the high level play from Kyrie Irving and LeBron James (13 turnovers!)? Kevin Love looks like a man thats wondering what he got himself into.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Cleveland Cavaliers have won two in a row and theyll try to extend that streak Saturday night when the Indiana Pacers roll into Quicken Loans Arena. The key ingredient in Clevelands run, which halted a four-game losing streak, has been none other than LeBron James. James third straight double-double helped the Cavaliers to a 113-87 win over the Washington Wizards Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena. James, who scored 22 points on just 38 percent shooting in Clevelands 91-78 loss to the Wizards last Friday, poured in 29 points on 7-of-14 shooting with 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals in the Cavs victory. James is now seven made 3-pointers away from passing Mark Price (802) for the franchise record. Kevin Love netted 21 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting and Kyrie Irving dropped in 18 with five assists for Cleveland, which committed 19 turnovers in the loss to the Wizards compared to just 10 on Wednesday. Dion Waiters scored 15 points with six assists off the bench for Cleveland. Defensive presence and taking care of the basketball, Cavs coach David Blatt attributed to the win. We reallly want to play with pace.ddddddddddddWere really a better team when the ball is moving. Thats what we want to do. The Cavaliers got back to the .500 mark with the victory. Theyll host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, then hit the road for three straight. Indiana will play four in a row on the road against Cleveland, Phoenix, Portland and Sacramento, and has played better of late with wins in six of the last nine games. In Fridays 98-83 win over the Orlando Magic, Rodney Stuckey scored 24 points to lead the way. David West (ankle) and C.J. Watson (foot) both made their season debuts and had an immediate impact. West started and scored 18 points and Watson shot 4-of-4 off the bench for nine points. Ive come to expect a lot from David West. He certainly played a great game, a great floor game Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. He orchestrates a lot of stuff on both ends. Lavoy Allen posted 10 points and 14 boards for the Pacers. The Cavaliers snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Pacers with their win on March 30. Indiana is 15-2 in it last 17 against its Central rival and 7-2 in the last nine in Cleveland. ' ' '