What Happened To Daniel Gafford? 25YO Mavs Star Rushed To Locker Room After Mortifying Injury

Amid intense action, the Dallas Mavericks rushed their big man, Daniel Gafford, to the locker room. The Dallas Mavericks stepped on the court tonight with a plan, keeping up with the OKC Thunder pace. Until the first half, Luka Doncic & Co. has done a better job, holding on to the lead throughout the two quarters. However, they faced a nasty blow during the late end of the second quarter when Gafford suffered a threatening injury.

In an attempt to block OKC star Jalen Williams’ bucket against the board, Gafford seemed to have injured his fingers after slamming it against the board. He was seen holding his hand in pain for a brief moment and immediately rushed to the locker room after calling for a substitute.

After a brief stay in the locker room, Daniel Gafford clocked back in the next half. During a free throw attempt in the third quarter, he was still seen checking his fingers. Nevertheless, the injury didn’t seem to bother him in the second half as he continued to play the entire stretch.

During the Game 1 loss against the OKC, Daniel Gafford played a crucial role in dropping 16 points with 11 rebounds. Especially when Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving failed to score. The 25-year-old’s absence would have cost them a lot in Game 2 if he had a serious injury. The OKC Thunder have taken the postseason by storm after taking out the New Orleans Pelicans with a 4-0 whitewash in the first round.

Notably, they put up a similar show in Game 1 with a blowout 117-95 win. However, the Mavs found their rhythm back in Game 2 and gave back a perfect reply of 119-110 victory, silencing the OKC crowd. The Mavs held the lead throughout the game, but at one point, the Thunder almost chased down the lead by tying the score once in the third quarter.

Can Dereck Lively II replace Daniel Gafford in the starting lineup?

The rookie Dereck Lively II has put on a great show this season averaging 8.8 points per game in his 23-minute stay. Notably, the 20-year-old star had a shift in his game plan after the trade deadline. The Mavs roped in Daniel Gafford and replaced him in the starting lineup. He further improved the Mavs’ rim protection and paint buckets with 11.2 points per game with 78% FG.

However, ahead of the postseason, he suffered a lower back injury, and it reflected on first-round performance as well. Following the Game 1 loss, he said, “I have to be better when it comes to me being a starter on the floor,” after scoring only 3 points. Even in Game 2, he left the court early in the second quarter with a backache. And, he ended the series with an underwhelming average of 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in his 18-minute game time.

Whereas, Lively II has put up great numbers in the first round, averaging 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in his 20-odd minutes of game time. With the playoff pressure off the roof against the OKC, the team might need to consider the rookie in the starting lineup rather than the 25-year-old. What do you make of Dereck Lively II in the starting lineup? Let us know in the comments below.