Using his trademark and practically-unblockable fadeaway, Dirk Nowitzki sank a baseline jumper in the dying seconds Tuesday night, giving the visiting Dallas Mavericks a 92-90 win against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kobe Bryant, wearing a suit on the sidelines due to ongoing shoulder pain, could only pat Dirk on the back and acknowledge what a tough shot he hit.
Kobe had to acknowledge Dirk with a pat … only Wilt and Jordan are between the 3rd and 6th leading scorers in @NBAHistory.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 27, 2016
J.J. Barea led the Mavs with 18 points; Chandler Parsons added 17.
Per the AP:
He knew the pat on his back came from Kobe Bryant. Nowitzki replied with a shoulder pat of his own. […] Bryant’s sore right shoulder prevented the friendly rivals from sharing a court for the 50th and final time.
Nowitzki’s big shot with 2.1 seconds to play propelled the Dallas Mavericks to a 92-90 victory over the Lakers on Tuesday night, snapping their two-game skid. […] Nowitzki scored eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Mavericks earned their 10th consecutive victory over the Lakers. The 7-foot German did it with his usual incongruous grace, launching the winner over Julius Randle before making that friendly contact with Bryant.
“I heard him talk some noise during the game, so that was fun,” Nowitzki said with a grin. “It was just fun competition down the stretch. … I’m not really a big trash-talker, but once I’m talked to, I’ll have some fun.” […] “He’s our Michael Jordan for my generation,” Nowitzki said of Bryant. “He’s one of the best to ever lace ’em up, and it’s been a pleasure and an honor to compete against him basically almost my entire career.”
