And five which make 33. Daniel Gafford came a little closer to Wilt Chamberlain's absolute record, and his 35 consecutive successful shots, spanning several matches. The Mavs pivot signed a 5/5 in the victory against the Warriors on Wednesday, bringing his total to 33/33 in his last five outings. Chamberlain's mark has never been closer to falling.
Facing Golden State, missing Draymond Green to protect the hoop, Daniel Gafford did not deviate from his good habits. The former Wizards pivot took advantage of the creation of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to be served in an ideal position near the circle, particularly at the conclusion of pick-and-rolls. His five baskets of the evening were… five dunks, for maximum success.
Six times starter with the Mavs, six victories
“ He plays admirably well » benefits Jason Kidd. “ He has excellent hands. Luka, Kyrie… The guys are looking for him. And then there is his ability to finish over his defenders too. Because it's not just Daniel alone in the world and all the other players around. Being able to play physical, to finish your lay-ups and dunks like that, it's strong. »
Gafford, however, wants to avoid thinking too much about this potential place in the annals of the NBA, possibly starting next night in Oklahoma City. “ I'm not going to bring bad luck! As always, my philosophy is to be consistent. And to have fun. At one point during this series I was able to think about it. But I try not to think about it. If I manage to reach the record, it will be good, I will be able to celebrate it. But I just want to win matches. I'll think about the record later. » It works since he won his sixth victory in as many starts with the Texan team.
Like a fish in water since his arrival just before the trade deadline in Dallas, Daniel Gafford is beaming. The pivot takes the situation with a lot of perspective. First of all, on his early career, within the uncompetitive Bulls and Wizards. But also more broadly about his life. “ I just focus on being happy, having fun playing, having fun in life. There is nothing taken for granted in life, and I can say that because I have experienced several situations where I could no longer be in this world. I take it as an experience to cherish every day, no matter tomorrow and what might happen. […] I just try to bring my energy every night. Even if I come off the bench, I just want to have fun. I laugh, I have fun, it nourishes me. »
And what's more, he defends hard: 7 blocks!
Against Golden State on Wednesday, the pivot not only brought his rare skill. Gafford was remarkable in protecting his circle with 7 blocks including four in the second quarter. The absolute X factor, since Dallas scored 22 points on the counterattack on Wednesday, compared to only 8 for the Warriors. In a match won by ten points, these additional possessions offered in transition change a lot of things for the Mavericks, regularly too permissive in the first part of the season. “ Seven against? I had no idea… It’s impressive » couldn't believe it Josh Green. “ This brings us a huge presence in the ring with D-Live (Dereck Lively) and now 'Gaff'. It's scary. »
Over the last ten NBA seasons, Lively and Gafford are two of only four players to have recorded a 100% shooting game and seven blocks (with DeAndre Jordan and Jaren Jackson Jr). Daniel Gafford is already a bit of history before possibly entering the big game against the Thunder. He will face a fierce defender in the person of Chet Holmgren.
