With six games in the books for the Western and Eastern Conference Finals, the NBA is nearing the conclusion of the 2023-2024 season. Daniel Gafford and the Dallas Mavericks are only one game away from reaching the Finals after their 116-107 win over the Timberwolves.
Gafford's role in the Mavs' third win wasn't huge, but he put the exclamation point on the game. He went 2-4 from the field for five points, but his final two were the points that went viral. Dallas was up by six with 40 seconds left in the game. Mavs star Luka Doncic drove to the basket and lobbed a pass high above the rim. Gafford snatched the pass with one hand and threw it down with authority to put the final nail in the coffin.
Although his offensive production fell short of his in the first two matches, Gafford led all players on the court with three blocks after doing the same in game two with five rejections.
THAT'S A BAD MAN 🥶 pic.twitter.com/A62L5lLp6R
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 27, 2024
The Mavs have done significantly better since Gafford arrived in Dallas. After starting the season 29-23, Dallas finished the season 50-32. Since they acquired Gafford, the Mavs are 32-13, including wins against the Clippers and the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs.
The next game of the series will take place on Tuesday, May 27, at 7:30 p.m. CST. You can catch the game on TNT.