DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks' injury trouble has been a concern throughout the season, and it got even worse on Monday. Daniel Gafford suffered an apparent injury early in the second quarter and exited the game. The Mavs' only remaining healthy center is Kylor Kelley, as Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Dwight Powell are all injured at the moment.

The Mavs later announced that Gafford suffered a right knee sprain. He will not return to Monday's game as a result of the injury.

Mavericks center Daniel Gafford suffers injury 

Gafford's injury comes after the news that Davis could miss up to a month with a left adductor strain. Meanwhile, Powell and Lively remain out with injuries.

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Gafford, 26, has made a significant impact throughout the 2024-25 season. He entered Monday's game averaging a career-high 12.5 points per game while shooting 69.7 percent from the field. Additionally, Gafford has averaged 6.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.9 blocks per outing.

The Mavs are hoping that Gafford's injury is not serious. The last thing this team needs is another long injury absence. As mentioned, Dallas does not have many other center options.

Dallas could turn to a small-ball lineup. Kelley has minimal NBA experience and Jason Kidd may be hesitant to lean on him at the center position. Kidd is going to be in for a challenge as he attempts to navigate through the Mavs' injury woes. He has consistently preached about the “next man up” mentality all season long, but the Mavs' center options continue to dwindle.

As for the game itself, the Mavs and Kings are currently tied 61-61 at the half. The Mavericks are battling with their small lineup. They will need to play a quality brand of defense on the perimeter in order to win, because rim-protection is going to be a problem for the remainder of the game.