DALLAS — The Warriors could be on the wrong end of niche NBA history on Wednesday night in the American Airlines Center.
Daniel Gafford, the Mavericks’ 7-foot center, entered the Warriors-Mavericks matchup having made 28 consecutive field goals. If he converts his first seven shots against Golden State, he’ll pass Wilt Chamberlain for the most consecutive made baskets ever — a record that’s stood for 57 years.
Chamberlain set the record with 35 straight makes in a four-game span from Feb. 17 to Feb. 28 in 1967. Gafford, who came to the Mavericks from Washington, hasn’t missed in his past four games — a span in which he’s averaged 16.3 points and 7.8 rebounds.
It’ll be easier for the rim-running Gafford to make history than it would normally be, as Draymond Green was scratched from Golden State’s lineup 45 minutes before tipoff. He was a late addition to the injury report with low back soreness, and was eventually downgraded to inactive.
Asked about Gafford’s ongoing streak, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said the locker room hasn’t been mentioning Gafford’s delicate streak.
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“I think it’s the baseball, no-hitter strike,” Kidd said. “When you look at what he’s doing right now is Gaff is playing at a high level on both ends, offensively and defensively.”
Gafford supplanted rookie Dereck Lively in Dallas’ starting lineup, where he pairs with playmaking superstar Luka Doncic as a pick-and-roll partner.
Doncic just lost an impressive streak of his own; earlier this week, he became the first player in NBA history to record six straight 30-point triple-doubles. He came only three points shy of extending that streak on Monday.