Milestone Hex: Losses Mar Recent Achievements For Three NBA Stars

I am not the superstitious sort. A recent string of unfortunate losses amidst individual triumphs in the NBA, however, has me rethinking my belief in happenstance.

Career milestones give loyal fans something to celebrate and a means to connect with their favorite sports heroes. Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan each gave their followers something to smile and cheer about at least once in the previous two weeks. They also made them cringe.

Nowitzki reached the 20,000-point plateau with a baseline jumper in a 100-95 home loss to the banged-up Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant became the youngest player in league history to score 25,000 points in a 94-87 road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Duncan recorded his 20,000th and 20,001th points with a top-of-the-key jumper in a 116-109 home loss to the Houston Rockets.

Notice a pattern here?

A trio of future Hall of Famers achieved laudable feats in crushing losses. Maybe this string of dreadful luck is pure coincidence. Still, what are the odds that three of the game's greats would all add more individual luster to their Springfield resumes AND lose those games in the span of 14 days?

The Dallas Mavericks hope to win the Western Conference and snag the franchise's first championship. No, this is not a joke. Stop laughing.

In what could be the best year of Nowitzki's career, he scored 30, including the milestone jumper, in a losing effort. How are the Mavs going to topple the Lakers in May when they could not do so in the confines of American Airlines Center with Pau Gasol sidelined, Kobe Bryant battling a bad back and a broken finger on his shooting hand, and various other Lakers hobbling?

A Bryant free throw in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's thriller gave him 25,000 points. Moments later, LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers completed a regular season sweep of the Lakers.

The next night, Duncan continued his efficient march to Hall-enshrinement with a jumpshot off an errant pass from Tony Parker.

The attempt hit nothin' but net. The visiting Rockets made nothin' but layups and rallied to score 116 points in an impressive road victory.

These superstars are headed to Springfield because they would trade all of the accolades in the world for wins.

Ask Bryant what he would have preferred Thursday night: a win over the Cavs or that milestone?

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told the Dallas Morning News of Nowitzki, "he would do anything to win."

Duncan and Bryant were not efficient from the field in their hallmark nights, but they played like stars when it mattered. Their teammates could not do enough to salvage what should have been two of the most memorable nights of these All Stars' careers.

In Dallas and San Antonio, the delirious fans responded with roaring standing ovations for their franchise players.

The TNT crew gushed about Bryant's greatness after his not-so-ordinary free throw.

I wrote two years ago that the Houston Astros needed to host more farewell ceremonies for Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. The Astros won all three times Owner Drayton McLane brought back the nostalgia with pre-game celebrations.

When Biggio recorded his 3,000th hit, Carlos Lee capped a rally with a grand slam. The struggling Astros won again.

It works in baseball. Why not in basketball?

A milestone hex. Three nights that three spectacular players will remember for all the wrong reasons.