Updated at 9:00 p.m., Monday, February 26, 2007
Shaq reaches 25,000-point mark
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Shaquille O'Neal went over the 25,000-point mark for his career midway through the first quarter in a 99-93 loss to the New York Knicks tonight.O'Neal, who entered the contest five points shy, is the top scorer among active players and 14th overall in NBA history. The Miami Heat center is the seventh to reach 25,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.
The milestone basket came with 6:04 left in the period when he muscled Knicks forward Malik Rose in the paint, backed him up and then scored over him to give Miami a 16-9 advantage. O'Neal had an earlier scoring drive and a thunderous dunk.
But he made only one of two free throws with 43.7 seconds remaining when he could have tied it. Miami attempted only eight foul shots total, compared to 39 for New York.
''I am kind of disappointed in myself because if I make free throws I'd be at 30,000 rather than 25,000,'' O'Neal said.
The 15-year NBA veteran is the first to hit the scoring milestone since Indiana's Reggie Miller on March 23, 2005. O'Neal, limited to just 17 of Miami's first 56 games this season because of a knee injury, came in with 11,193 rebounds.
He finished with 20 point and joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Wilt Chamberlain, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, and Hakeem Olajuwon as those with 25,000 points and 10,000 rebounds.
The Heat are counting on O'Neal to carry them down the stretch while leading scorer Dwyane Wade is sidelined because of a dislocated left shoulder. Miami went 18-21 without O'Neal this season.
Wade is expected to join the team at the White House tomorrow, when they are honored for winning last season's NBA championship, and then visit a doctor the following day to get another opinion on his shoulder.
