Mavericks center Daniel Gafford is quietly approaching one of NBA’s craziest records

Will Miller

Dallas Mavericks v Chicago Bulls / Michael Reaves/GettyImages

The Dallas Mavericks extended their winning streak to three games on Monday night, as the Mavericks scored 60 points in the paint in their 127-92 blowout victory over the Chicago Bulls. The Mavericks did a great job of diagnosing mismatches and making the extra pass all night, and it subsequently lead to many easy baskets for Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II.

Gafford and Lively II played excellent on both sides of the ball all evening as the big-man tandem combined for 42 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks on the evening. This game further proved that Dallas should inflict their repertoire of rim running and rim protection on opposing teams more often than they should play small ball, but it also marked one of the more surprising developments of the season for the Mavericks.

Mavericks center Daniel Gafford is quietly approaching one of NBA’s craziest records

With Daniel Gafford going 9-9 from the field in Dallas’ victory over Chicago, Gafford has now made 28 consecutive field goals, as the big man has gone perfect from the field in the last four games he’s played for Dallas.

This mark is historic as it sounds, as Gafford is only seven field goals shy of the NBA record for most consecutive field goals made in a row, which is set at 35 field goals made consecutively by Wilt Chamberlain during the 1966-67 season.

While some of Gafford's streak can be attributed to his playstyle, given that he primarily scores at the rim in pick and roll, off of offensive rebounds, or in seal-off scenarios, it doesn't make the streak any less impressive when you take into consideration that no player has even made 28 consecutive field goals since before the NBA started tracking miscellaneous stats in the 1996-97 season.

Gafford has been a stable of consistency on both ends ever since he's gotten to Dallas regardless of his playing time, and he's been a perfect fit in the locker room as well with his fun-loving attitude and hard working demeanor.

"I tell people any accolade that is around my name is a good thing for me, but at the end of the day, I just want to win, just compete, just go out and have fun with the game"
Daniel Gafford

Even more impressive than Gafford's individual feat, may be his selfless approach to the game, as he's focused on winning and doing whatever the Mavericks need from him on a nightly basis. Gafford will have a chance to go for Chamberlain's record in the Mavericks next game against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, but his individual brilliance shouldn't be underscored regardless if he fails to reach the historic mark.

For more on Daniel Gafford and the Dallas Mavericks, stay tuned as we will have you covered.

Will Miller

Will Miller is a senior contributor and is in his second year with The Smoking Cuban. Will has been following the Dallas Mavericks for over a decade and is currently working on getting a Bachelors in Science in Sports Journalism from the University of North Texas, as he is also covering sports for the North Texas TV station. While Will is opening up his coverage to cover other sports for UNT, basketball and the Dallas Mavericks are his true passion and he hopes to continue writing and producing Mavericks related content as his career continues. Will has very solid in-game analysis and knowledge about the intricacies of the game, and has a very broad understanding about the NBA as a whole. Going forward Will is looking to be more expansive in his coverage of the Mavericks beyond writing as well. Outside of writing about the Mavericks, Will enjoys hanging with friends, going to the gym, and watching other sports and live events.