WITH his 20th point Tuesday night against the Lakers, Dirk Nowitzki became the fifth player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points.

    Nowitzki, 38, joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant to reach the milestone. Julius Erving reached 30,000 points with his ABA career included, but Nowitzki, who hails from Germany, will be the first international player in the group.

    The sweet-shooting 7-footer came out firing Tuesday and needed barely a quarter to score the requisite 20 points. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor to start the game, including a pair from 3-point range, for 14 points in the first 5:31. Then, at 10:57 in the second, Nowitzki sunk a 15-footer to reach the milestone.

    Nowitzki becomes just the fourth player to have 30,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in NBA history.

    With career averages of 21.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists, a championship and MVP honors under his belt, Nowitzki will likely join his historical counterparts in the Hall of Fame after he retires, which is rumored to after next season.

    The Mavericks’all-time leader in points, games and minutes played, rebounds, field goals made and 3-pointers made, Nowitzki is seeing his numbers diminish as he ages. He entered Tuesday’s game with 13.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.

    The celebration of 30,000 points came a lot faster than most would have imagined — except maybe the man who has watched from the bench for nine of Nowitzki’s 19 seasons.

    “Watching Dirk the last couple of days, there was no doubt this was going to happen tonight,” Dallas owner Mark Cuban said.

    The 38-year-old scored all of his 25 points — one shy of his season high — in the first half to send the Mavericks on their way to a 122-111 victory.

    “I made the first one and it was a 2, and then I made the first 3 and thought, ‘Why not?’” said Nowitzki, who made his first six shots and had 11 rebounds in 24 minutes. “I threw another one up and it went in, and then the next three came right after that and I was just trying to ride it from there.”

    Dallas extended a franchise record with its 14th straight win over the Lakers, who got 13 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists from Julius Randle in their eighth straight loss.

    “I was a Kobe fan,” said Randle, who grew up in the Dallas area. “I hated Dirk growing up. As I got older and wiser, obviously, I was really able to appreciate his greatness.”

    Nowitzki finished the night at 30,005 points and has said he plans to play a 20th season.

    If so, he could have a shot at fifth-place Wilt Chamberlain, who has 31,419.

    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the career leader at 38,387.

    (SD-Agencies)