The Mavs’ misery continues. Well, they headed into tonight’s game with three consecutive losses. And they were also missing several key players due to injury, including superstar Kyrie Irving. So, the desperation to somehow break that losing streak was evident as they went head-to-head against the Jazz. But things quickly went south because of another massive setback as Daniel Gafford suffered an unfortunate injury that led to him leaving midway through the game.

Yes, the incident occurred around the seven-minute mark of the third quarter as Gafford fought for a rebound inside the paint. As Lauri Markkanen won that battle after Dwight Powell’s missed shot, Gafford quickly turned to run back on defense. Unfortunately, his right foot slipped during the turn and he fell straight to the floor. While the play continued, he could be seen in visible pain still down after the scary fall.

Meanwhile, the Jazz took advantage and scored a triple on the other end. Seeing that the Center was still not up, the Mavs had no option but to intentionally foul and stop the play. Sure enough, concerns grew when Gafford was seen limping off the court and favoring his right leg. And he headed straight to the locker room.

Obviously, that’s a massive blow for the team as Gafford has been one of their most efficient players so far. He is averaging 12.2 points at an efficiency of 72.5% from the field. Moreover, he has also been a solid defensive presence. And losing him could hurt the Mavs going forward.

Mavs breathe a sigh of relief with Daniel Gafford return but the injury bug continues to plague them

As fans feared a major injury, Gafford gave them an enormous sigh of relief when he returned to the floor later in the game. But he did not get a lot of playing time and finished the night with only ten points. Moreover, the Mavs ended up losing to the Jazz and extended their losing streak to four games. Hopefully, Gafford can play in the upcoming games because his team is already dealing with multiple injuries.

Of course, the biggest blow tonight was the absence of Kyrie as he dealt with a right shoulder strain. Then, P.J. Washington has also been sidelined for the last five games with a right knee sprain. And Dante Exum is yet to make his season debut as he is out with wrist surgery. Moreover, Luka Doncic is also playing through a lingering right knee contusion. So, the Mavs cannot afford any more setbacks if they want to contend for the title again.