African basketball legend Dikembe Mutombo goes into Friday’s game against the Utah Jazz just seven blocks shy of claiming second-place on the NBA’s all-time list.

The veteran Houston Rockets center, who hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is closing in on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s tally of 3,189 blocks.

The overall record is held by Hakeem Olajuwon, who blocked a total of 3,833 shots while playing for Houston and the Toronto Raptors.

Olajuwon played for Team USA, winning gold at the 1996 Olympics, but he was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and Mutombo is excited about the possibility of making it an African one-two at the top of the charts.

"I'm really thrilled about becoming one of the great shot-blockers who has played this game," he said in the Houston Chronicle.

"To see myself up with my brother Hakeem Olajuwon, I think it's a great honour for me. To go into the history books as two African kings who came in and did something very special in this league, it is overwhelming to me and I think very significant."

At 40, Mutombo knows he cannot hope to catch Olajuwon, but he hopes the example they have both set can inspire more African children to take up the game.

"Hakeem's career, my career, I think it's a good inspiration for any African kids who come into this league after both of us are long gone," he said. "They can say, 'I want to reach and try to touch where my brothers have been.'"

Mutombo has seen his playing time increase significantly since China international Yao Ming went down with a broken bone in his right leg on December 23.
In six games since then, he has averaged 10 rebounds while playing 22.5 minutes.

"It has motivated me and, at the same time, there's a lot of pressure," Mutombo said. "My teammates are saying, 'You gotta help us.' The coaches are saying, 'Deke, we need you.'

In Thursday’s action, Kobe Bryant scored 42 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a victory in an overtime thriller against the Sacramento Kings.

The Lakers squandered a 21-point lead in regulation, but Bryant repaired the damage in the extra period, scoring seven points as Los Angeles pulled away.

He opened with a layup and later hit a jumper with 1:02 left for a 126-121 lead.

Kevin Martin hit a layup and Mike Bibby buried a three-pointer sandwiched around a free throw by Smush Parker to bring the Kings within 127-126 with 13 seconds left.
After Bryant made split a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left, Corliss Williamson missed a layup five seconds later and fouled Bryant, who hit two more free throws to seal the victory.

Serbia’s Vladimir Radmanovic made a vital three-pointer in the final seconds of regulation as the Lakers came back from being 116-112 down to force overtime.

The Kings wasted a season-high 38 points from Mike Bibby.

German superstar Dirk Nowitzki helped the Dallas Mavericks extend their winning streak to 12 games, but it was Josh Howard who stood out in a 100-91 win over the Indiana Pacers.

Howard had 25 points and 11 rebounds while Nowitzki scored 20 and Devin Harris added a career-high 24 points.

Al Harrington led the Pacers with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Argentina’s Carlos Delfino came up big as the Detroit Pistons beat the New Orleans Hornets 92-68 in Oklahoma City.

Richard Hamilton scored 17 of his 27 points in the first quarter while Tayshaun Prince added 15 points and 10 rebounds and Delfino scored 13.

Jannero Pargo scored 16 points, Desmond Mason 15 and rookie Devin Brown 14 for the Hornets.

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