In a recent matchup against Sacramento, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford suffered a sprained right knee, resulting in his absence from the court for a minimum of two weeks. This unfortunate setback has left the team without its top four big men, with Anthony Davis having sustained a groin injury in his Dallas debut just two days prior.
The Mavericks announced on Tuesday that Gafford’s condition will be reassessed in two weeks’ time. The injury occurred during the second quarter of the game against the Kings, as Gafford collided knee-to-knee with Sacramento guard Malik Monk near midcourt, forcing him to exit the game. This injury adds Gafford to the list of sidelined frontcourt players for Dallas, alongside Davis, Dereck Lively II (dealing with a stress fracture in his ankle), and Dwight Powell (suffering from a hip strain).
As a consequence, the only available center for the Mavericks at the moment is Kylor Kelley. The 27-year-old rookie, who is on a two-way contract, has appeared in five games for Dallas but saw limited action against the Kings, playing just one minute despite being the sole option at center.
Davis is expected to remain out of action until at least the All-Star break due to his groin strain sustained in the game against Houston. This injury occurred in his first game for Dallas following the high-profile trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Subsequently, Davis was replaced on the All-Star team by his new teammate Kyrie Irving.
Meanwhile, Lively is still on the road to recovery after being sidelined since January 14th following an injury against Denver. Coach Jason Kidd provided no update on Powell’s condition before the game against the Kings, and he skipped his required postgame media availability following the match.
Looking ahead, the Mavericks have upcoming home games against Golden State and Miami on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, before the All-Star break. Stay tuned for more updates on the team’s roster and player status.
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