Washington Wizards: Daniel Gafford made the history books with his performance against the Blazers

The Washington Wizards have generally been deeply underwhelming so far this season. With a 5-22 record through the first third of the season, there haven't been too many encouraging stories for the Wizards fanbase. Last night against the Portland Trail Blazers, however, one Wizard changed that with a historic performance. Daniel Gafford, who has been one of the bright spots for Washington all season, had a night to remember in the Wizards' 118-117 win over Portland.

Daniel Gafford finished the game with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, and 6 blocks on 7/10 shooting from the field. He was a team-high +9 in his 31 minutes of action.

Gafford's stat line of 16-8-4-6 hasn't been done since Kawhi Leonard in December 2014. In fact, this was the eighth such game in this century, only other players hitting these marks in a single game were Anthony Davis, Andrei Kirilenko, Kawhi Leonard, Elton Brand, Ben Wallace, and David Robinson. That is a great company for Gafford to join.

Throughout the history of the NBA, there have only been 54 other occasions where a player finished a game with that stat line. 30 of those belong to Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. Gafford became only the 22nd player in league history to have at least 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, and 6 blocks.

What was perhaps the most impressive part of Gafford's performance was the fact that he did it in only 31 minutes. Out of all 55 games with this stat line, Gafford required the least amount of time to accumulate it.

It raises the question of what Gafford's final stat line would have been if he wasn't in foul trouble. He fouled out with 30 seconds left in the game, but the Wizards had to be cautious with his playing time the entire game. If he could have played over 35 minutes, Gafford's historic night could have been even more unforgettable. Still, this was one of the best individual Wizards' performances of the season and one that Gafford will not forget for a long time.