Daniel Gafford injury adds to Mavericks’ woes in overtime Loses

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford left the court during Monday’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings due to a sprained right knee. The injury occurred in the second quarter when Gafford set a screen for guard Spencer Dinwiddie at the top of the key and collided with Kings guard Malik Monk.

The impact caused Gafford to fall, visibly in pain, and he was helped off the court after recording four points, three rebounds, and two assists on a perfect 2-for-2 shooting in 10 minutes of play. The Mavericks later announced that Gafford would not return to the game.

Mavs Fall to Kings in Overtime Thriller, 129-128

With no veteran bigs left to defend the paint, the Mavericks allowed the Kings to rack up an impressive 74 points in the paint, leading to a narrow 129-128 overtime victory at the American Airlines Center.

The loss dropped the Mavericks to a 28-26 record, leaving them just half a game ahead of the Kings (27-26) in the Western Conference standings.

For the Kings, DeMar DeRozan weaved through two defenders to make a clutch basket from the left side with 1.9 seconds left, securing the win. The Mavericks, whose two-game winning streak came to an end, will next face the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.

Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Spencer Dinwiddie contributed 20 points, five assists, and two steals, while Klay Thompson added 19 points. Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Max Christie also chipped in with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

DeRozan led the Kings with 42 points and seven rebounds. Zach LaVine and Malik Monk each scored 17 points, while Domantas Sabonis posted a near triple-double with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists. Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Keegan Murray added 11 points and five rebounds.

Thompson surprised the crowd when he buried a three-pointer to give the Mavericks a slim 128-127 lead with just 9.8 seconds remaining. However, after the Kings called a timeout, DeRozan, trapped between two Mavericks defenders, skillfully slipped through them and scored the game-winning basket.

The Mavericks played without power forward Anthony Davis, who sustained a left adductor strain in Saturday’s 116-105 victory over the Houston Rockets. The duration of his absence remains unclear.

Other Injuries in the Camp

Gafford’s injury marks another significant blow for the Mavericks, who are already grappling with a string of injuries. Recently, the team lost both Anthony Davis and P.J. Washington to injuries. Davis, sidelined with an abductor injury, is out indefinitely, while Washington is dealing with a right ankle sprain. Additionally, newly acquired Caleb Martin is out with a hip injury.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd commented on the team’s injury struggles, saying, “I’ve been through it. My job is to tell guys that you have to keep pushing forward, and that’s what this group has done. Through injuries, through trades this past week, the train doesn’t stop. The games keep coming. No one feels sorry for us. That’s just the way the league is. For us to pout, or to want to take our ball and go home, it doesn’t work in this league. You have to fight, and our group is fighting.”

With key players unavailable, Olivier-Maxence Prosper stepped up in a larger role for the depleted frontcourt during the game.

Gafford, who has been a major contributor this season, is averaging 12.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks, along with 5.5 win shares. The Mavericks were already playing without power forwards Anthony Davis (groin injury) and P.J. Washington (sprained ankle), as well as centers Dereck Lively II (ankle stress fracture) and Dwight Powell (strained hip).