Dallas Mavericks' Daniel Gafford Admits He Must 'Be Better' in Game 2 vs. Clippers

Daniel Gafford had a poor performance in the Dallas Mavericks' Game 1 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Apr 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) goes up for / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES — A lineup change in March involving moving Daniel Gafford into a starting role significantly influenced the Dallas Mavericks' success at the end of the season, including a 16-2 stretch. However, it didn't translate in the team's 109-97 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 1 on Sunday.

Daniel Gafford only played 14 minutes after dealing with early foul trouble and proving unable to find a rhythm. He totaled three points and one block in 14 minutes, shooting 1-4 (25.0%) from the floor and 1-2 (50.0%) on free throws.

"I have to be better when it comes to me being a starter on the floor," Gafford admitted. "I have to be better in areas that I was always succeeding throughout the regular season."

Apr 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) goes up for / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Gafford quickly dealt with foul trouble and struggled to defend Ivica Zubac, who dominated early with several post-ups and controlled the paint on both offense and defense all night. Zubac scored in double digits in the first quarter and wrapped up the game with 20 points and 15 rebounds, marking his first postseason performance with at least 20 points.

"Just the physicality part," Gafford said. "At the end of the day, we got to put bodies on him, make sure we get him off the glass. He threw the first punch tonight. And there was no adjustment that was made at the end of the day."

When reflecting on what transpired after Game 1, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd highlighted how Zubac played in a way that left Dallas without an answer, saying, "Zubac was big. He dominated here in Game 1 at the center position."

Going forward, the Mavericks must improve in how they handle guarding Zubac in the post and in handling him on the boards. Zubac remained aggressive on both ends, creating opportunistic chances to rebound by staying persistent.

"They played Zubac in the post, and we didn't have an answer, so we have to do better. We talked about it. His ability when shots go up, to rebound, so we had to make sure that we sent two to him. But in the post, he hurt us, and so we gotta do a better job of guarding him when he's in the post."

Kyrie Irving admitted it was a surprise for the Mavericks' defense to encounter Zubac being featured in the post. Dallas must tighten up handling the Clippers' pick-and-roll attack and not only him to outcompete in the energy department.

"It kind of threw us for a little bit of a loop when they started off the game with him posting up," Irving said. "So just got to make adjustments and keep him off the offensive glass and just make it tough for him on those pick-and-rolls. And again, match his energy."

Luka Doncic described Zubac's impact as being the "X factor" for the Clippers, emphasizing the need for more physicality to contain him down low.

"Yeah, I think it was definitely the X factor today, or however you say it," Doncic said. "It was a big factor for them. Rebounding and scoring, too. We gotta be more physical with him and do a better job."

Gafford admitted that he wasn't as ready to play as he needed to be for a postseason game but felt most of the team was prepared. It took too long to match the physicality of the Clippers, playing a role in the poor start.

"I don't know if it was the majority of guys that came out that was ready to play, and then guys like me, for sure, that was out there on the floor just playing basketball," Gafford said. "I just felt like I wasn't there. It was just kind of like, commit to anything, give anything to the team at the time. We had to take that extra step and adjust to their physicality, adjust to what they were trying to do."

Gafford and the Mavericks will have their next opportunity to rebound in Game 2 on Tuesday against the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.