Nowitzki reaches another milestone

The Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki became the NBA’s sixth-leading scorer Monday night with another of his signature longrange jumpers.

Nowitzki took Luka Doncic’s handoff and backed down the Pelicans’ Kenrich Williams before hitting a turnaround from the top of the free-throw circle with 8:35 left in the first quarter.

The basket brought Nowitzki to 31,420 points in his career, one more than Wilt Chamberlain. The 40year-old German trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Michael Jordan. James passed Jordan for fourth place on March 6.

Coming into the game, Nowitzki needed just four points to pass Chamberlain, and he started for just the ninth time this season. His first basket was a 20footer off an assist from rookie Jalen Brunson.

While Nowitzki stands only an inch shorter than Chamberlain’s listed height of 7-foot-1, the two reached their totals with contrasting styles of play.

Chamberlain once averaged more than 50 points in a season, dominating inside to such a degree that the NBA widened the paint in an effort to neutralize him.

Nowitzki, meanwhile, has made nearly 2,000 3pointers in his career, establishing the trend of big men with long-range shooting capabilities.

“One of his real legacies is how he helped this game evolve to what it is today,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “The way Dirk approached the game helped nudge the game along.”