Dirk Nowitzki four points away from passing Wilt Chamberlain on NBA's all-time scoring list

Scott Rafferty

Dirk Nowitzki four points away from passing Wilt Chamberlain on NBA's all-time scoring list image

Dirk Nowitzki is a step closer to moving past Wilt Chamberlain on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

By scoring 14 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 121-116 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, the 14-time All-Star is now only three points away from tying Chamberlain in sixth place and four points away from passing him.

That would leave Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players in NBA history to score more points in their careers than Nowitzki.

NBA's all-time leading scorers
Rank Rank Points
1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
2 Karl Malone 36,928
3 Kobe Bryant 33,643
4 LeBron James 32,306
5 Michael Jordan 32,292
6 Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
7 Dirk Nowitzki 31,416

The Mavericks did their best to help Nowitzki move up the standings down the stretch of Sunday's contest. Rick Carlisle subbed the future Hall of Famer back into the game with Dallas leading 118-107 with 3:14 remaining in the fourth quarter, but he missed his final three shot attempts.

Nowitzki finished the game with 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting from the field and 2-for-5 from 3-point range. He scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter alone.


The Mavericks will be back in action on Tuesday, when they host the New Orleans Pelicans. You'll be able to watch the game on NBA League Pass.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.