The Mavericks may have to try to win the Western Conference Finals without key reserve players.
Rookie center Derek Lively II, who emerged as a valuable contributor off the bench, injured his knee in the neck area in the first half and did not play in Dallas’ 116-107 win over Minnesota.
With the Mavericks leading by 10 points in the second quarter, Timberwolves guard Mike Conley drove into the paint and missed a floater that Lively tried to block.
As Lively tumbled down the court, Karl-Anthony Towns was moving toward the basket to get the rebound.
Towns’ right knee struck the back of Lively’s head, keeping the center on the court for several minutes while Mavericks players and staff gathered around him before Lively was eventually helped to the locker room.
Lively was not in the NBA’s concussion protocol as of Sunday night. According to ESPN:However, the outlet reported that he left the arena to undergo examination for a sprained neck.
“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. He spoke to reporters after the match.
The 12th overall selection in the 2023 NBA Draft following his collegiate career at Duke University, Lively started 42 of his 55 games during the regular season and emerged as the primary backup to Daniel Gafford in the playoffs.
In the first round, he scored at least 10 points in three of his six games against the Clippers.
Then, in the Western Conference semifinals against the Thunder, Lively recorded three additional double-figure scoring efforts, turning two of them into double-doubles.
After scoring 12 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in the win-win Game 6 victory over Oklahoma City, Lively paid tribute to her mother, Kathy, who passed away in April.
“I love you mommy. I miss you mommy. Just sitting here watching,” Lively wrote on her Instagram Story.
He had 23 points and 20 rebounds in the first two games of the conference finals and had six points, three rebounds and two assists in nine minutes before exiting Sunday.
“You have to be willing to lean on the next guy,” Mavericks star Luka Doncic told reporters after the game when asked how Livry’s absence in Game 4 would affect the team’s defense. “Obviously, he’s a great player. He’s really, really helped us in the playoffs and in the regular season. So, obviously, we’re going to miss him not being able to play, but we have to be willing to lean on the next guy.”
A win in Dallas on Tuesday would clinch the series and earn the NBA Finals berth for the first time since 2011.
