BOSTON – With a simple stroke of the keyboard, Daniel Gafford won 18 1/2 games in the standings when the Dallas Mavericks
acquired him in a February 8 trade with the Washington Wizards.
At the time of the trade, Gafford and the Wizards were 9-41 and had lost 10 of their previous 12 games. On the other hand, the Mavs were 28-23 at that point and were in the process of dethroning the Knicks in New York when the trade became official.
Although he enjoyed his time with his teammates in Washington, D.C., Gafford was excited to be with a team in the middle of a heated playoff race.
“When you play with a team like I did before (with the Wizards), every win was nice and every loss was terrible,” Gafford told Mavs.com. “So we always had that next game mentality.
“But coming to a team like (the Mavs) — whether you win or lose — it’s always that next game mentality. You celebrate the wins, we celebrate what we did that night, and then we get ready for the next one.
For the Mavs, the next game is Friday at 6:30 p.m. at TD Garden against the powerful Boston Celtics. This is a Celtic team that has the best record in the NBA at 46-12 and the best home record at 27-3.
In other words, Friday’s game poses an epic challenge for Gafford and the Mavs.
“We just have to go in locked in,” Gafford said. “They are a real dominant team. We’re going to see a lot of different things that we haven’t seen.
Before being traded to the Mavs, Gafford and the Wizrads were scheduled to face the Celtics in Boston on February 9.
“I haven’t had a chance to play them once this year,” Gafford said. “The first game I had a chance to play against them (in a 126-107 home loss on Oct. 30) I was injured and the second game I was traded.
“So now I finally have a chance to play against them, so we’ll see how it goes.”
In the seven games he has played with the Mavs since the trade, Gafford is averaging 10.6 points and 6.4 rebounds while being a serious force inside to help protect the rim. He also appears to be the perfect ticket the Mavs needed to help them punch a ticket to the prestigious playoffs.
Gafford enters Friday’s game having contributed 13 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s 136-125 win over the Toronto Raptors.
“I’m taking things one day at a time, one game at a time,” Gafford said. “I’m not trying to rush anything.
“If you’re in a rush for a lot of things, it really doesn’t turn out the way you want, so being patient is key. That’s just the main thing for me.
*It’s the finale of a grueling four-game, week-long road trip for the Mavs. After facing the Celtics on Friday, the Mavs will host Philadelphia on Sunday, Indiana on Tuesday and Miami on Thursday before hitting the road to play Detroit on March 9 and Chicago on March 11.
*This is the midpoint of a three-game home stand for the Celtics, who will entertain the Golden State Warriors on Sunday before heading out on a five-game road trip that includes games against Cleveland, Denver, Phoenix, Portland and Utah.
*Mavs point guard Luka Dončić, questionable for Friday’s game due to a sprained left ankle, continues to produce numbers that have historic implications. Dončić’s 30 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists in Wednesday’s 136-125 win over Toronto came in his 25th birthday. And it’s the only time in NBA history that a player has had a 30-point triple-double on his birthday.
*Boston, the best point differential in the NBA (+10.5). The Celtics are also fourth in the NBA in scoring (120.7 points per game) and fourth in fewest points allowed (110.2).
*The Mavs have won eight of their last 10 games. But they know that without that improbable 59-footer at the buzzer from Cleveland’s Max Strus, 
After stunning the Mavs, 121-119, on Tuesday, Dallas would have nine wins in its last 10 games.
*Streaks played a major role in what the Celtics were able to accomplish this season. In total, they managed two five-game winning streaks and two six-game winning streaks. In fact, the Celtics are currently on a nine-game winning streak. Granted, six of those wins are against teams with a losing record. The teams Boston has beaten during this current streak and have a winning record are the Miami Heat (110-106 on February 11), the New York Knicks (116-102 last Saturday) and the Philadelphia 76ers (117-99 last Tuesday). .
*Mavs guard Kyrie Irving is averaging 25.9 ppg, 5.1 apg and 5.2 apg and is shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from the field. beyond the three-point arc.
*The last time the Celtics lost a game was Feb. 1 at home by a score of 114-105 to the Los Angeles Lakers, who were without injured All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis .
*The Mavs had five players score at least 10 points in Wednesday’s win at Toronto. In addition to Dončić’s 30 points and Irving’s 29 points, the Mavs also got 23 points from PJ Washington, 16 points from Tim Hardaway Jr. and 13 points from Daniel Gafford. The Mavs are 20-9 this season when at least five players score 10 or more points in a game.
*The Celtics have the All-Star market cornered, which is why they are one of the NBA’s elite teams and heavily favored to hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy when the NBA Finals roll around. will end in June. Celtic starters Jayson Tatum (27 ppg, 8.5 ppg, 4.9 ppg), Jaylen Brown (22.3 ppg, 5.5 ppg), former Celtics center Mavs Kristaps Porzingis (20.2 ppg, 6.9 ppg, 1.8 apg) and Jrue Holiday (13 ppg, 44.3 percent from three-point range) were all named in the All-Star team at least once in their career. Boston’s other starter, Derrick White, is hitting career highs in scoring (15.6 points per game) and three-point shooting (40 percent).
DALLAS MAVERICKS (34-25) at BOSTON CELTICS (46-12)
When: 6:30 p.m., Friday
Or: TD Garden, Boston
TV: BSSW,ESPN
Radio: 97.1 FM The Monster; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
X: @DwainPrice
