Without Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, the Dallas Mavericks saw another key player sidelined during Monday’s 112-99 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Daniel Gafford exited in the second quarter after turning his left ankle while contesting a rebound with 8:26 remaining.
Gafford landed on the foot of Grizzlies forward John Konchar and remained on the floor briefly before limping to the locker room. He did not return.
“A sprained ankle, I think it is, so we’ll see how he feels. But he’s probably going to be out for some time,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “That’s just part of the game. Unfortunately, it’s happening to us — it seems like we’re losing a guy each day. So, next-man-up mentality.”
Gafford, who shares center duties with Dereck Lively II, has started 15 of 35 games this season. He is averaging 11.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. His 71.8% shooting leads the league. His return timeline remains uncertain.
Maxi Kleber, who started Monday’s game, is expected to see an expanded role with his ability to play power forward and small ball center. However, Dwight Powell has often been relied on to play more minutes when either Gafford or Lively is sidelined. With the current injuries the Mavericks are dealing with, they lack wing depth to get too creative with small ball combinations.
“It feels like we’re losing a guy every day,” Kidd said. “It’s next-man-up mentality, but we have to be better defensively and limit the fouls. That’s how we stay in these games.”
Lively acknowledged the challenge of missing Gafford but emphasized the need to stay focused as the team tries to prevent further damage to their 20-16 record.
“There are times where we’ll look at each other and think, ‘Now what?’ But that’s not going to get us to where we want to be,” Lively said. “We’ve got to learn from mistakes, learn from what we’re doing, and keep getting better.”
P.J. Washington also noted the impact of Gafford’s absence, expressing frustration over the outcome. Regardless, Washington remains confident in the Mavericks’ ability to overcome injuries to win games.
“Gafford getting hurt hurt us. I think we should have won,” Washington said. “If we played a little better, we could have had a different outcome.”
The Mavericks, currently on a five-game skid, host the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday as part of a back-to-back.
