Nowitzki reaches milestone for foreign-born NBA players
Dirk Nowitzki surpasses Hakeem Olajuwon in career points as the Mavericks defeat the Kings.
DIRK NOWITZKI is now the highest-scoring NBA player born outside the United States.
The Dallas star passed Hakeem Olajuwon for ninth place on the all-time scoring list, finishing with 23 points, as the Mavericks downed visiting Sacramento last night, 106-98.
The 7-foot German hit a jumper just inside the three-point line to get to 26,947 points, one ahead of the Nigerian-born former star of the Houston Rockets. He now has 26, 953 points.
Olajuwon, who spent 17 years in Houston, retired in 2002 after one season with Toronto.
Elvin Hayes is the next on the list at No. 8 with 27,313 points.
Nowitzki, 36, in his 17th season with the Mavericks, is second among active players behind Kobe Bryant, who is fourth all-time.
In other games
* At Toronto, Kyle Lowry, a Cardinal Dougherty and Villanova product, scored 19 points, Terrence Ross had 17 and the Raptors erased an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Orlando, 104-100, their ninth consecutive victory over the Magic.
* At Memphis, Mike Conley scored 23 points and the Grizzlies to beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 107-102. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers (1-6) with 28 points, but shot 10 of 26 from the field and surpassed Boston Celtics great John Havlicek for the most missed field goals in an NBA career.
* At Milwaukee, O.J. Mayo scored 19 points and Brandon Knight added 16 as the Bucks held off a late Oklahoma City rally to beat the Thunder, 85-78. Reggie Jackson had 29 points for Oklahoma City.
Noteworthy
* The NBA stripped LeBron James of a triple-double after reviewing video of the Cavaliers' 118-111 win Monday night over New Orleans. The league took away a rebound and assist from James, who initially had been credited with his 38th career triple double. James finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
The league said it routinely reviews videotape to maintain the integrity of statistics.