Westbrook now seventh all-time in career assists
SACRAMENTO—Russell Westbrook scored 21 points and moved past Magic Johnson for seventh place on the NBA’s career assists list while leading the Sacramento Kings to a 113-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
Westbrook also grabbed five rebounds, and his nine assists gave him 10,149—eight more than Johnson.
The 37-year-old Westbrook also moved within nine points of tying Dominique Wilkins for 19th on the NBA’s scoring chart while propelling Sacramento to its third victory in 13 games.
Dallas got within 111-107 with nine seconds remaining before DeMar DeRozan made two free throws to seal it.
Keon Ellis hit five three-pointers and had 21 points, Maxime Raynaud added 19 points and Dennis Schroder scored 10. Rookie guard Nique Clifford had eight points and nine rebounds off the bench to help the Kings (8-23) to their fourth consecutive win over the Mavericks.
Cooper Flagg had 23 points, six rebounds and five assists but also committed five turnovers for Dallas (12-21). PJ Washington had 17 points and four blocks and Klay Thompson scored 14 points.
In Orlando, Anthony Black scored a career-high 38 points, Desmond Bane made two free throws with 6.9 seconds left and the Magic overcame another huge triple-double by Nikola Jokic to beat Denver, 127-126.
Jokic had 34 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists, his 180th triple-double and 16th of the season. Two nights after finishing with 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists in a Christmas overtime victory over Minnesota, he pulled within one of Oscar Robertson for second on the NBA’s career triple-doubles list.
Jamal Murray scored 24 points for Denver, but missed a long jump shot at the horn after Bane’s free throws completed Orlando’s comeback from a 17-point deficit.
Bane scored 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter for the Magic, who shot 67.4 percent in the second half.
