Daniel Gafford suffered a Grade 3 right MCL sprain during the Mavericks’ game against the Kings
Credit AP
DALLAS — Another key player for the Mavericks went down with an injury on Monday night, and his absence could stretch for several weeks.
In the second quarter of the Dallas Mavericks’ game against the Sacramento Kings, forward Daniel Gafford was escorted to the locker room with what appeared to be a knee injury. Gafford injured his knee when he stepped on Kings guard Malik Monk’s foot while setting a screen, and Monk inadvertently backed into his knee. Gafford remained on the floor briefly, clutching his knee and hitting the hardwood in pain.
Though he walked off with assistance, Gafford did not return to the game. The Mavericks initially diagnosed it as a right knee sprain, but on Thursday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Gafford had suffered a Grade 3 right MCL sprain, which will sideline him for at least six weeks.
Gafford’s injury adds to the Mavericks’ growing list of casualties. Recently, Anthony Davis suffered a non-contact injury, and according to Charania, he will also be out for “multiple weeks.”
The injuries have mostly affected the Mavericks’ frontcourt, with Dereck Lively II, Dwight Powell, Anthony Davis, and P.J. Washington all appearing on the injury report for the game. If Gafford remains out, the team will be left with just one healthy big man: Kylor Kelley, a recent two-way G League acquisition.
Kelley, a 7-foot center, most recently played for the South Bay Lakers, averaging 11 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
