Watch: Daniel Gafford owns the rim early in Game 4

On both sides of the ball in the first quarter of Game 4, the Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford did damage at the rim.

Gafford threw down two dunks in the first quarter against the Thunder as Kyrie Irving dissected the Thunder’s defense to get him easy baskets. It’s a testament to Irving’s control during this second-round series, setting up his teammates early while taking over the scoring in bursts later.

But Gafford also defended the rim when he wasn’t playing above it for dunks. He blocked two shots in the first quarter, as did Derrick Jones Jr., to help Dallas assert its defensive presence inside.

In a series where Luka Doncic has struggled with his outside shot, controlling inside shots could be huge for the Mavs.