Whenever a player threatens to break one of the Wilt Chamberlain’s 72 NBA recordsyou know they are doing something right.
Entering an away game against Chicago on Monday, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford had gone 19-for-19 from the field in his previous three outings. With another perfect 9-9 night against the Bulls, he extended his streak to 28 consecutive field goals over his last four games.
Gafford is down to seven field goals Chamberlain’s File of 35 consecutive games, which “The Big Dipper” established during a four-game span between February 17 and 28, 1967.
While some would ignore Gafford’s feat as he capitalizes on dunks, alley-oops and easy shooting opportunities created by Luka Doncic, it is worth noting that he is a career 70% shooter and he has been scoring effectively since entering the league. in 2019. Since arriving in Dallas before the February 8 trade deadlineGafford is shooting an eye-popping 76.6 percent from the field.
After Monday’s game, Gafford admitted he was surprised when he learned he was about to make history.
“Yes [surprised]but I just want to keep moving forward,” Gafford said after game. “I tell people that any accolades around my name are a good thing for me, but at the end of the day, I just want to win. I just want to compete and have fun with the game.”
The big man burst out laughing when asked if he had ever made 28-28 field goals in practice.
“No, I don’t think so. I just go out and do my job, but I’ll get it [the record] in the back of my mind, that’s for sure.”
Gafford will have the opportunity to make history Wednesday night when Dallas hosts Golden State, a team that is not particularly known for its interior defense. Additionally, the Mavs have dominated the Warriors since Doncic entered the league in 2018, holding a 12-5 record against Stephen Curry & Co. Gafford would need to be 7-7 to surpass Chamberlain’s 57-year-old record.
