Before the game, the 35-year-old needed 17 points to pass Moses Malone. He scored 30 points, which brought his career total to 27,423 points.
But it wasn’t enough to keep his team from losing 119–111.
Denver’s five starts all scored at least 15 points, and Nikola Jokic was their best player. He scored 21 points and had 16 assists.
In other news, the Orlando Magic beat the Washington Wizards 130–125, which tied the team record for most straight wins with nine.
German forward Franz Wagner got 31 points for the Magic, and Paolo Banchero scored 28 points as well.
The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 108–94 at home. Luka Doncic was out because he had just given birth to a girl. Desmond Bane scored 30 points for the Grizzlies.
The Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Boston Celtics 125–119, and Jayson Tatum was ejected in the third quarter for a second technical foul. Joel Embiid, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, was also not in the game.
In Friday’s other games, the New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 119-106, and the San Antonio Spurs lost to the New Orleans Pelicans 121-106, which was their 14th straight loss.
Vic Wembanyama, the Spurs’ first-round pick in the draft, missed his first game this season because of a tight right hip.
