‘Like Watching Your Favorite Movie’: Daniel Gafford Marvels At Kyrie Irving’s Takeover In Dallas Mavericks’ Win Over Houston Rockets
DALLAS — Kyrie Irving scored 16 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter of Friday’s 116-111 win over the Houston Rockets. He had 26 of them after halftime.
Daniel Gafford has watched Irving do it before, and he expects more nights like it this season.
“It’s like watching your favorite movie over and over again. It never gets old,” Gafford said after Sunday’s practice. “It’s just seeing that night in, night out. And I know there’s gonna be more and more games like that down the stretch of the season. I’m prepared for it, but it’s just exciting, whether I’m out there on the floor with them during the stints where they go crazy, or I’m on the sidelines cheering them on. The energy is just contagious.”
Through five games, Irving is averaging 21.4 points on 52.7% shooting and 39.0% from 3-point range. He has not missed a free throw this season.
Gafford joined the Dallas Mavericks from the Washington Wizards at the February 2024 trade deadline. Friday’s fourth quarter took him back to his first months alongside Irving.
“It reminded me a lot of when I first got here, especially, I think, when we had played against the Rockets, that one game we had with OT. It reminded me of that game a lot,” Gafford explained. “I’m just like, man, it’s like déjà vu all over again. That’s why I said all the things that I said when he was doing his interviews and stuff.”
Daniel Gafford On Kyrie Irving’s 19-Month Wait
Irving tore his left ACL in March 2025 and returned this season. Friday was his highest-scoring game since the injury.
Gafford said Irving deserves everything coming his way.
“Seeing him out for, what, how long was he out? 19 months. Too long for a guy like Kai,” Gafford said. “The game deserves, he deserves everything that’s coming his way, especially when it comes to basketball in general. I’m happy for him.”
Gafford On The Dallas Mavericks’ Start
Dallas opened 1-2, losing 128-110 at Houston on Oct. 21 and 122-106 to San Antonio on Oct. 24. The Mavericks have won three straight since then, beating Miami 113-109, Oklahoma City 120-96, and Houston.
Rebounding, energy, physicality, and turnovers were the things Dallas set out to fix after the two losses.
“Man, I feel like we started good. We had a bit of a bump in the road when it came to the two losses that we had,” Gafford said. “But I feel like we responded the way that we needed to and adjusted in ways to where we could. Like we want to fix the rebounding, we want to fix the energy, the approach to the game, we want to fix the physicality, we want to fix turnovers. And all of those, throughout the span of games that we’ve won, we fixed those.”
“So we’ve really been paying attention to details. We’ve been taking everything personal, I would say, when it comes to just like our job night in, night out,” Gafford continued. “Coming out here on the floor and playing, whether it’s a road game or a home game, you come in with the same mindset, that’s trying to win games.”
The Mavericks host the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. CT Monday at American Airlines Center, airing on KFAA and streaming on MavsTV+. Irving is listed as questionable with left knee injury management.
