Dallas Mavericks big man Daniel Gafford fell just short of surpassing NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain's consecutive field goals made record.
Gafford's miss came within the first minute of Thursday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on a put-back attempt. It was a good effort, but the shot just did not fall.
Gafford entered Thursday's game against the Thunder having converted on 33 straight field goal attempts. Chamberlain, meanwhile, held the NBA record with 35 straight field goals. Although the majority of Gafford's attempts come within five feet of the basket, surpassing Chamberlain's record would have been incredibly impressive nonetheless.
Mavericks did not jinx Gafford
The Mavericks were treating the situation in similar fashion to a baseball no-hitter. Kyrie Irving was asked about Gafford's historic run following Wednesday's win over the Golden State Warriors, and immediately told the reporter “don't jinx him.”
Gafford was asked if he was “ever going to miss a shot again” following Wednesday's contest.
“I don't want to jinx myself,” he responded. “My philosophy is just be consistent at the end of the day. Just have fun with the game.”
One interesting element that led to some uncertainty before Thursday's game was Luka Doncic's absence. Doncic is dealing with hamstring soreness and did not make the trip to Oklahoma City. Gafford and Doncic have quickly developed chemistry with one another since the big man was traded to Dallas before the NBA trade deadline.
Gafford is capable of creating his own look near the basket via a post-up, of course, but he's also been a reliable lob threat when Luka has the ball.
In the end, Gafford fell just short. He has still played a big role for the Mavs since joining the team, and will continue to do so despite the streak's end.
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