Dirk Nowitzki moved past Wilt Chamberlain and into sixth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list Monday night.
Nowitzki, 40, was happy to “get it over with” quickly by making his first two shots of the game.
The New Orleans Pelicans then went on to beat the Dallas Mavericks 129-125 in overtime.
Per The AP:
“I took my time and faced him up like I’ve done a million times and tried to shoot over him,” Nowitzki said. “It was good to get it over with in the first two shots.”
Nowitzki finished with eight points, giving him 31,424 in his 21 seasons — trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
“The league wanted a change, and I came in at the right time,” Nowitzki said. “They basically forced teams to do a little more movement and more pick-and-roll. All the guys now can shoot and spread the floor. It was just perfect for me and for my skill set.”
[Elfrid] Payton had 19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Dallas rookie Luka Doncic turned in a triple-double of his own with 29 points, 13 boards and 10 assists, including the pass that put Nowitzki higher up in the record book.
“He deserves everything good that happens to him,” Doncic said. “It’s amazing the things he has accomplished, but this one is really amazing for him.”
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