After 21 legendary Hall of Fame seasons, Dirk Nowitzki had reached the end of the road — but not before one final unforgettable performance in front of an adoring home crowd. Despite averaging a shade over seven points per game in his final season, the 14-time All-Star turned back the clock in his last home game with the Dallas Mavericks. The 40-year-old showcased his iconic shooting touch against the Phoenix Suns as he scored on a long two-pointer from the top of the key and then kept on firing. Nowitzki connected on five 3-pointers, as well as multiple midrange fadeaways. He even threw down a two-handed slam for good measure, delighting the Mavericks faithful with a season-high 30 points to go with eight rebounds and three assists in a 33-minute swan song. Nowitzki took the first eight Dallas shots and scored the team’s first 10 points of the game — one final night where everything ran through him. He officially announced his retirement to the fans after the 120-109 triumph on April 9, 2019, spending an NBA-record 21 seasons with the same franchise. The 2007 MVP played in more than 1,500 games with the Mavericks, scoring 31,560 career points, and delivered the organization its first and only title in 2011. · Apr 10, 2019