Dereck Lively II gets notable status update ahead of Game 5 against Wolves
The Dallas Mavericks badly missed Dereck Lively II during their loss in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday, but he may be emerging out of the tunnel soon enough.
On Wednesday, one day before their Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas shared a notable status update on the rookie big Lively. On their official injury report for the game, the Mavericks have upgraded Lively to “questionable.”
For Lively, who was listed as out of commission on Dallas’ injury report more than a day before Game 4, this is huge news. In the third game of the series, Karl-Anthony Towns of Minnesota gave him a hard knee to the back of the head, injuring him (see the video here).
Despite having a neck sprain, Lively was able to evade being put in the concussion protocol. Additionally, he felt healthy enough to support his team the entire game while sitting on the Mavericks bench in Game 4.
This season, Lively, 20, has made a significant contribution to Dallas as a rookie. The seven-footer is a long and nimble shot-blocker in addition to an athletic dunk threat, averaging 8.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game on the year. Dallas is able to consistently control the paint thanks to Lively’s rotational moves with Daniel Gafford, the starting center for the Mavs.
In Game 4, the Mavericks suffered a 105-100 defeat without Lively, with the inexperienced Maxi Kleber and low-post Dwight Powell finding it difficult to play backup center minutes. Though Lively appears to be leaning toward a return for Game 5, Dallas could be well-positioned to win the series, which is now 3-1 in their favor.
