Dirk Nowitzki Rises Up All-Time Defensive Rebounding List

Dallas Mavericks big man Dirk Nowitzki gathered in eight defensive rebounds in Tuesday's 112-87 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The effort moved him past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for seventh on the all-time defensive rebounding list, per theNBA on Twitter.Dirk owns 786 more defensive rebounds than Dwight Howard for the league lead among active players. The longevity of the German-born star's career has placed him atop many active lists. Among them are games played (1,384), minutes played (48,412), field goals made (10,636) and attempted (22,477) and points (30,127), according toBasketball Reference.Nowitzki finished the night just one rebound short of a double-double, tallying 16 points, nine rebounds and an assist in the contest. Despite his output, the Mavericks lost their fourth in the last six contests to drop the club's record to 30-40 on the season and further behind in the playoff race.Following Tuesday's loss, Dallas has fallen to three games back of the Denver Nuggets for the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Whichever team does sneak into the playoffs in theeighth spot will probably see an early exit at the hands of the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs, but four teams remain within 3.5 games of earning a playoff berth.While Nowitzki's career may be winding down, he announced earlier this month his intention to return for the 2017-18 season. The veteran suggested he inked a two-year contract prior to last season with the intention of playing out the deal, which could indicate that next year will be his final in the NBA. The deal includes a $25 million club option for next season, but it seems unlikely the team would deny him a 20th professional campaign.
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