Dirk’s Historic Night Powers Mavs to Win Over Lakers

The Dallas Mavericks landed a big win over the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, due on large part to a historic shooting night from the Big German, Dirk Nowitzki.

The Los Angeles Lakers were no match for vintage Dirk Nowitzki Tuesday night, as the ageless superstar eclipsed 30,000 points, an NBA milestone achieved by just five others in the league’s history. Dirk set the tone early, scoring 18 of his 25 in the first quarter and reaching the 30K plateau early in the second quarter.

Dirk’s 25 were not the only reason that the Mavs impressively took down the Lakers at home in a convincing 122-111 win. Seth Curry provided yet another solid performance, notching 18 more points in what has been a stellar first season in Dallas. Wesley Matthews added 15 points on only 9 shot attempts, and Nerlens Noel put up 11 to continue his tear since joining the Mavs.

The win extends Dallas’ win streak over the Lakers to 14 straight. The win streak is good for the third longest active streak in the league against one team. While Dirk’s night was being showered with shoutouts from Steve Nash, LeBron James and even Ben Stiller, the Mavs rained points on the Lakers, further showing the improvement they have made offensively since the beginning of the season.

Tonight’s win moves Dallas to nine games under .500, improving to 27-36. The Mavs are now just two games behind the Denver Nuggets for the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Dallas’ overhaul of their roster has in large part paid off this season, as Harrison Barnes, Seth Curry, Yogi Ferrell and Nerlens Noel have all showed extreme progress since coming into the league. The Mavs’ youngsters have the team pointing in an upward direction for the future for the first time in a while.

Ferrell, Curry, Noel, and Barnes all witnessed history, as Dirk Nowitzki accomplished in all likelihood what will be his final major milestone as an NBA player. A true professional such as Nowitzki is providing an invaluable example to the younger group of Mavs who are giving the team some fresh new blood that has been missing for several seasons.

Next: How Dirk Nowitzki Has Scored 30,000 Despite the Doubters

The Mavs still need to continue chasing for the final playoff spot, but tonight was a night to celebrate one of the game’s greatest ever, and his glorious grace in accomplishing it.