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Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash make NBA history as Durant 'relieved' to see end of streak

Nowitzki is now in the top 10 all-time scorers while his former teammate Nash moved into third place on the all-time assist list.

A PAIR OF former Dallas Maverick teammates, Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, made NBA history on the same night by achieving a couple of milestones.

Current Maverick Nowitzki vaulted into 10th place on the league’s all-time scoring list on last night night while former Dallas guard Nash moved into third place on the all-time assist list.

Germany’s Nowitzki finished with 21 points to move past Oscar Robertson to take over sole possession of 10th in the Mavericks 95-83 win over Utah.

Nowitzki now has 27,714 points for his career, Robertson had 26,710.

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“One of the few times I’ve truly been in awe of an accomplishment,” Nowitzki said. “Top 10 all-time scorers is an unbelievable accomplishment because it’s a level of excellence that’s beyond belief.”

Los Angeles Lakers guard Nash passed Mark Jackson to grab third place all-time on the assist list. Nash now has 10,335 career assists.

Canada’s Nash set the mark with two minutes left in the second quarter of the Lakers game against the Houston Rockets.

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Jackson, who is now coach of the Golden State Warriors, congratulated Nash via Twitter.

“Congrats to the great Steve Nash on passing me on the all time assist list! I am honored!! God Bless.”

Elsewhere, Kevin Durant’s historic scoring streak came to a halt as the Oklahoma City Thunder toppled the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday 107 – 92.

Thunder forward Durant finished with 23 points as his run of scoring at least 25 points ended at 41 games. He passed Michael Jordan last time out for the third longest streak in history.

Durant expressed relief that it was over and they can get back to concentrating on winning games.

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“Sometimes it was a little bit more of a distraction to the team,” Durant said. “I don’t like all the attention on me when it is a team game.”

Durant, who is a strong candidate for most valuable player of the year, has also scored 20 or more points in 50 consecutive games.

Durant is leading the league in scoring and last failed to score 25 or more points on January 5 against Boston.

Oscar Robertson had a 46-game run of 25-plus points back in 1963-64 and Wilt Chamberlain did it in all 80 regular-season games of the 1961-62 season while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors.

Those two streaks happened before the league’s three-point era came into being, making Durant’s the longest of the so called modern era.

Durant has won the scoring title in four of the last five seasons.

Double double

Caron Butler made all six of his attempts from three-point range for 23 points off the bench and Serge Ibaka finished with 19 points in the rout for Oklahoma City who ended a two-game losing skid.

DeMarcus Cousins had a double, double with 24-points and 14-rebounds. Travis Outlaw also had 24 points and Ben McLemore scored 11 in the Kings’ sixth loss in eight games.

Cousins matched Chris Webber’s franchise record of 50 double doubles in a season. Webber did it in the 2001-02 season.

- © AFP, 2014

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