Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Plagued by foul trouble in return

Gafford (ankle) tallied two points (1-1 FG), two rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block across 13 minutes in Monday's 140-133 overtime loss to the Jazz.

Gafford took back his spot in the starting five after missing Dallas' previous three games due to right ankle injury management, but his playing time was kept in check while he played for just the second time in two weeks. Foul trouble may have been a factor in Gafford's limited minutes, as he had already racked up three personals just over two minutes into the second quarter before hitting the bench for the remainder of the period. He then played brief shifts at the beginning of the third and fourth quarters before the Mavericks went with Dwight Powell at center in overtime. Gafford should generally see his minutes pick up once he's further removed from the injury and when he's not plagued by fouls, though his playing time could still be somewhat volatile depending on matchups, especially when the Mavericks also have Anthony Davis (calf) available as an alternative at center.