Daniel Gafford 24 points vs Hawks (Mar 18, 2026): 2nd-best of 48 games
24 PTS · 9-of-10 FG · 6-of-7 FT · 22:24 MIN
Usual before this game: 9.0 PTS · 5.6 FGA · 21.8 MIN, from 47 regular-season games
2nd-best Game Score of the 48 games the source holds this season: 23.5 against a usual 9.4 (+14.1)
Season-high 24 points among the games the source holds (previous high 22, set on Mar 12, 2026)
above usual
No more than 3 in 100 games by players at this level finish this far above their usual.
For a player who plays every game, a game this far above the usual comes about 2 to 4 times a season.
How the score worksWhy did Daniel Gafford score 24 points?
In 22:24 against the Hawks on Mar 18, 2026, Daniel Gafford scored 24 points: 9-of-10 from the field (90.0%), 6-of-7 on free throws (85.7%). Coming in, Gafford had averaged 9.0 points on 5.6 shots in 21.8 minutes, from 47 regular-season games. No earlier game the source holds this season reached 24 points. This game had the 2nd-best Game Score of the 48 games the source holds this season. The shot count was 10, against a usual 5.6. Gafford shot 90.0% from the field, against a usual 64.6%. Points by shot type, against the usual: two-pointers 18 (7.2), free throws 6 (1.8). Minutes: 22:24, against a usual 21.8; Game Score per 36 minutes: 37.8, against a usual 15.5. The Mavericks lost 135-120 at home against the Hawks. The box score records what changed, not why: it holds no injury, matchup or coaching information.
Generated from the box score and this season's game log. How the score works
What changed
Gafford in this game against the usual line
| Stat | This game | Usual (47 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 22:24 | 21.8 | +0.6 |
| Points | 24 | 9.0 | +15.0 |
| Shots (FGA) · FG% | 10 · 90.0% | 5.6 · 64.6% | +4.4 · +25.4 |
| FTA · FT% | 7 · 85.7% | 2.5 · 71.8% | +4.5 · +13.9 |
| Rebounds | 8 | 6.9 | +1.1 |
| Assists | 0 | 1.0 | -1.0 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1.3 | -0.3 |
| UsageUsual: minutes-weighted average of per-game usage, 47 games | 25.9 | 15.4 | +10.5 |
| Game Score per 36 minutes | 37.8 | 15.5 | +22.3 |
Points by shot type
Twos, threes and free throws: the changes add up to the points change
| Shot type | This game | Usual (47 games) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twos | 18 (9-of-10) | 7.2 (3.6-of-5.6) | +10.8 |
| Free throws | 6 (6-of-7) | 1.8 (1.8-of-2.5) | +4.2 |
| Total | 24 | 9.0 | +15.0 |
Game Score
One measure of the whole box score line
23.5 against a usual 9.4 (+14.1)
Its five parts
| Part | Change |
|---|---|
| Scoring, net of shot attempts | +13.9 |
| Rebounds | +1.0 |
| Assists | -0.7 |
| Steals and blocks | -1.0 |
| Turnovers and fouls | +0.9 |
| Total | +14.1 |
Season so far
Regular season, in date order
2nd-best Game Score of the 48 games the source holds this season.
Context
From the rows this page already reads
- The Mavericks lost 135-120 at home against the Hawks.
- Previous appearance: Mar 12, 2026, 6 days earlier.
- Between the previous appearance and this game, the Mavericks played 3 regular-season games, on Mar 13, 2026, Mar 15, 2026 and Mar 16, 2026; Gafford was not in any of the 3 box scores; the data does not say why.
- Earlier regular-season meetings with the Hawks this season: 14 points (Mar 10, 2026).
- The source holds fewer Mavericks games than this season has, so season highs, lows and ranks count only the games it holds.
What this page cannot tell you
The same on every performance page
Box scores record what happened, not why: no injuries or health, defensive assignments, matchups, coaching decisions or play-by-play.
Game Score against the player's own usual line. How rare a gap is comes from NBA regular-season games of 2023-24 and 2024-25, checked on 2025-26.