What happened to Daniel Gafford? Latest injury update as Mavericks center exits game vs Kings

The Dallas Mavericks suffered another health setback during Monday's home clash against the Sacramento Kings as center Daniel Gafford sustained a right knee sprain.

Gafford's injury occurred early in the second quarter with Dallas leading 35-30. While setting a screen for his teammate Spencer Dinwiddie, his leg collided with Kings guard Malik Monk.

Gafford immediately fell to the floor in apparent pain and clutched his right knee. The sixth-year big man had to be helped up by his teammates before limping to the locker room with the assistance of the Mavericks' training staff.

He was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest, finishing with four points, three rebounds and two assists on 2-for-2 shooting (100%) in 10 minutes.

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Dallas' frontcourt is already heavily depleted. Newly acquired superstar big man Anthony Davis (groin), centers Dereck Lively II (ankle) and Dwight Powell (hip), and forward P.J. Washington (ankle) are all sidelined.

With Daniel Gafford joining the Mavericks' injury report, two-way contract center Kylor Kelley is their lone remaining big man.

Also Read: Jason Kidd makes his feelings known on Anthony Davis' injury: "There’s still stuff that has to come out at some point"

Mavericks implement small-ball lineup following Daniel Gafford's right knee injury

Following Daniel Gafford's early exit, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd implemented a small-ball lineup to begin the second half against Sacramento.

Kidd started forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper in Gafford's place. The sophomore joined veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson and forward Kessler Edwards in the frontcourt, giving Dallas a lineup of players all 6-foot-8 or shorter.

In addition to recently operating as the Mavericks' lone proven center available, Gafford has been one of the NBA's top rim protectors all season. He entered Monday tied for fourth in the league in blocks per game (1.9) through 50 outings.

Gafford is also averaging 12.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, shooting 69.7%. So, the undersized Mavericks will likely struggle to combat opposing big men in his absence.

Also Read: "They don't have margin for error" - NBA insider flags Mavericks' issues with Anthony Davis & $5,014,560 center sidelined due to injury

About the author

Tristan Rawcliffe is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda. Basketball has been Tristan's lifelong passion since age 11, and hailing from Brantford, Ontario, Tristan's loyalty lies with the Toronto Raptors.

He is a big fan of Nikola Jokic for his fundamental playstyle and Scottie Barnes for his versatility and potential. Tristan credits Nick Nurse for leading the Raptors to their first championship in 2019 and he holds Kawhi Leonard's iconic buzzer-beater in the playoffs as his favorite NBA moment.

Tristan is an all-around stats enthusiast and excels with statistical research skills to enrich his articles with compelling data and facts.

When he's not writing about basketball, Tristan enjoys spending time with family, playing sports and board games, swimming with his six-year-old son and traveling around Davao.

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Edited by Tristan Rawcliffe