NEW ORLEANS — Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford scored his 27th point of the team's game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter on Wednesday night, setting a new career-high for his most points scored in a game. Gafford's previous career-high was 26, something he accomplished in 2023, per StatMuse. However, the Pelicans narrowly defeated the Mavericks by a final score of 119-116 on Wednesday night.

The Mavs knew the game was going to be a challenge, as Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic , Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum were all out because of injuries. Irving was initially listed as doubtful before ultimately being ruled out before tip-off. It was clear the Mavericks needed someone else to step up.

Daniel Gafford answered the call.

“It means a lot for us,” PJ Washington said of Gafford's performance. “We need Gaff (Gafford)… He's a great player. We got a lot of good players on this team… I love playing with guys who give their all every night and Gaff does that so, overall just a great player and I'm just happy he had a great game tonight.”

“Gaff was great,” Jason Kidd added. “What he did for us, that's just kind of what he's done when he has started. We needed that game from him.”

The Mavericks center led the way with 27 points to go along with 12 rebounds in a double-double effort. He also missed just one shot, going 12-13 from the field. Jaden Hardy added 21 points and Spencer Dinwiddie added 20, but the Mavs still fell short in the end.

The Mavericks have now dropped three consecutive games. It has been a frustrating stretch for Dallas, as injuries have played a big role in their struggles. The Mavs refuse to make excuses, though. They will continue to fight as they try to get back on track.

The good news is that Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd believes Kyrie Irving should have a realistic chance of returning from his injury on Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. If Gafford enjoys another big game and Irving is able to return, perhaps the Mavs can upset the Thunder in Dallas.

With all of that being said, Wednesday's game felt like one the Mavs could have won. They did not play their best game, yet they remained competitive against a Pelicans team that has struggled throughout the 2024-25 campaign. Daniel Gafford did everything he could, but the Mavericks were unable to get the job done.

Dallas will try to stop the losing streak on Friday against the Thunder.