Nowitzki climbing all-time scoring list

Dirk Nowitzki passed Brooklyn's Kevin Garnett on the all-time scoring list and finished with 18 on Monday in Dallas' 110-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Nowitzki moved ahead of Garnett for 14th on the scoring list with two free throws with 3:03 left in the second quarter.

Garnett, who didn't play on Monday, sits at 25,352 points.

Kobe Bryant is the only active player ahead of Nowitzki, who has 25,361.

The Los Angeles Lakers star, who is still recovering after tearing an Achilles tendon last April, is fourth all-time at 31,617.

Nowitzki, an 11-time All-Star and the 2007 Most Valuable Player, has passed Jerry West, Reggie Miller and Garnett since Nov 12.

Nowitzki's free-throw streak ended at 35 with a miss in the fourth quarter. He passed Miller for 13th on the career free-throw list and now has 6,241 to 6,237 for Miller.

Ty Lawson had 19 points after a quiet first half and Nate Robinson scored 11 straight for Denver in the fourth quarter as the Nuggets pulled away from Dallas for their second win over the Mavericks in three days.

Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed the Mavs their first home loss in eight games this season.

J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22 points - including 10 during a first-quarter run that put his team ahead for good - and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds as the Nuggets won their second road game.

Monta Ellis led the Mavericks with 22 points.

(China Daily 11/27/2013 page24)