Needless to say, it’s been nothing but a struggle for the Dallas Mavericks this season. Their 17-36 record is the second-worst in the Western Conference. The Mavs are just 2-8 in their last 10 games going into tonight’s showdown out west against the Clippers. However, they are coming of a win in Sacramento against the Kings on Saturday that ended a five-game losing streak.
There have been some bright spots in an otherwise dismal season with another instance happening later tonight in Hollywood.
Once the game begins, Dirk Nowitzki will become just the sixth player in NBA history to play 50,000 career minutes. It’s a milestone that shows the longevity and impact Nowitzki has had with both the Mavs and in the NBA.
The Face of the Mavs Franchise recently became the sixth player to join the exclusive 30,000-point club. Nowitzki is the only European to win the NBA MVP and is a member of another exclusive club, players that have won both the MVP and Finals MVP honors. Every Mavs record basically belongs to Dirk.
The 39-year old is averaging 12.1 PPG and 5.6 RPG in just over 24 minutes a game during his 20th season as a pro. He currently has the third-best effective field goal percentage of his career at 54.4 percent. Nowitzki is also shooting 42.9 percent from three-point land.
So while the Mavericks continue down that lonely road to get back to the form that brought home an NBA championship in 2011, Nowitzki continues to be a model of consistency.
Tip-off against the Clippers is at 9:30 p.m. at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
