Mavs' Daniel Gafford Makes History vs. Pistons: ‘Sky’s The Limit For Me’
Believe it or not, Luka Doncic isn't the only player making history for the Dallas Mavericks.
Center Daniel Gafford etched his name into the Mavs' history books, scoring 17 points on 7 of 7 shooting from the field in their 142-124 win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday at the Little Caesars Arena. With him shooting perfect from the field on his seven attempts, Gafford has made 19 straight baskets, the most in Mavs (36-28) history.
Daniel Gafford after making a basket.
Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images
Gafford shot 5 of 5 from the field in Dallas' 114-108 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday and 7 of 7 in its 133-111 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
"As long as I stay out of my head, the sky's the limit for me," Gafford said after the game. "Just keeping my teammates in tune with keeping me from being frustrated and keeping me from getting down on myself and at the end of the day, just coming out and doing my job. Blocking shots, having energy, talking on defense [and] being an anchor."
Gafford was also a force on defense with four blocks. Overall, he had a plus-minus of 22 in his 24 minutes on the court against Detroit (10-53).
When Dallas acquired Gafford from the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline, the hope was that he could supplement rookie center Dereck Lively II when he isn't on the court. Gafford hasn't just done that, he's proven to be just as good, if not a better option, for the Mavs.
If Gafford can continue to play as well as he did in the last three games and Lively II continues to progress once he returns, Dallas may have one of the best center duos for years to come.
