Is Dirk Nowitzki a top-ten NBA player of all-time?

48 points on 12-15 FGs, 24-24 on Free throws – ’nuff said, really.

Dirk Nowitzki outshone Kevin Durant in their superstar, power forward matchup last night as the Dallas Mavericks pulled away from the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-112 in game one of the Western Conference Finals.

Nowitzki threw in 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocked shots for good measure. The 24 free throws without a miss is the most free throws made in a single game without a miss – regular season or postseason.

Is Dirk top-10 all-time?

Durant wasn’t shabby by any means. The 6-9 forward tallied 40 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks to lead the Thunder. Durant shot 10-18 from the field and 18-19 from the free throw line – great percentages, but as great as those numbers are, they weren’t 12-15 and 24-24. Sheesh.

Though he scored 20 points, Russell Westbrook struggled for the Thunder, shooting just 3-15 from the field. The Mavs bench, particularly Jason Terry (24 points) and J.J. Barea (21 points) helped Dirk and Dallas power past Oklahoma City.

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