Nowitzki warming up with Grizzlies on deck

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki is inching higher and higher on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

He became the sixth player to notch 31,000 points with a one-legged fadeaway against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 28.

Nowitzki has 31,063 points and on Saturday against the host Memphis Grizzlies, he will have a chance to climb closer to Wilt Chamberlain, who is next on the list with 31,419 points.

In three games this month, Nowitzki is averaging 19.3 points. In a season where his 12.5 points per game is the lowest average since his rookie season, the past three games have been a significant improvment. In those games, he is shooting 46.5 percent (20 of 43) and 65 percent (13 of 20)…