Somewhere in the world, there is a current high schooler who the Oklahoma City Thunder might be able to select with the 2028 first-round pick swap they got from the Mavericks at the , and maybe they were even watching the series-deciding Game 6 between the two teams on Saturday night. Unfortunately for the Thunder’s current roster, however, that player was unable to help them on Saturday while midseason Mavs acquisitions Daniel Gafford helped Dallas eliminate Oklahoma City from the with a 4-2 series win. In a somewhat fitting ending to the series, Washington scored 6 of his 9 points in the fourth quarter, including the two game-deciding free throws with 2.
1 seconds remaining after a pivotal offensive rebound to generate a three for himself a few possessions earlier. His intentional miss of the third free throw was even right on the money, leaving the Thunder short on time to generate a potential game-winning basket (Jalen Williams missed a 64-foot desperation heave) in the 117-116 loss. Gafford was much less critical than Washington in the series — he finished with a negative plus-minus in every game — but his addition allowed the Mavericks to move precocious rookie Dereck Lively II to the bench, where he ravaged the Thunder’s undersized second units for offensive rebounds to help swing the series.
And beyond the plus-minus, Gafford’s presence also gave the Mavericks 48 minutes of capable center play rather than what they were dealing with before. Now, why is that r.
