Lively (neck) is doubtful for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Timberwolves on Tuesday.
Lively sustained a neck sprain during Sunday's Game 3 and was unavailable down the stretch. He wasn't seen at Monday's practice session and will likely be sidelined Tuesday as the Mavericks attempt to advance to the NBA Finals. If Dallas wins Game 4 to complete the sweep, Lively will have over a week to rest before the NBA Finals begin June 6.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Ruled out for Game 4
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Lively (neck) has been ruled out for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Timberwolves on Tuesday, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
Lively was initially deemed doubtful for Tuesday's matchup due to his neck sprain, and he'll officially be forced to miss at least one game as the Mavericks attempt to close out the series. It's unclear whether Lively will be able to return if the Western Conference Finals continue past Tuesday or if the Mavericks advance to the NBA Finals, which begin June 6. Dwight Powell is a candidate to see increased playing time in Lively's absence.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Status for Game 4 unclear
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Tests on Lively's neck came back clean, but his availability for Tuesday's Game 4 against Minnesota remains unclear, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
The initial diagnosis for Lively was a sprained neck, and the center will continue to be evaluated Monday. More clarity is expected Monday evening, but for now, Lively should be considered questionable for Tuesday's Game 4.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Won't return to game
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Lively (neck) has been ruled out for the remainder of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against Minnesota on Sunday.
Lively sustained a neck sprain in the second quarter of Sunday's matchup after taking a knee to the back of the head, and he'll be unavailable down the stretch. Prior to his departure, he recorded six points (3-3 FG), three rebounds, two assists and a block in nine minutes. Whether he'll be available for Tuesday's Game 4 remains to be seen.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Deemed questionable to return
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Lively is questionable to return to Sunday's Game 3 matchup against the Timberwolves due to a neck sprain, Mike Curtis of The Detroit News reports.
Lively was noticeably shaken up after taking a knee to the head and has been diagnosed with a neck sprain following initial testing. Dwight Powell will likely pick up minutes at the five if Lively is unable to return.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Suffers head injury
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Lively suffered an apparent head injury with 8:35 remaining in the second quarter of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Timberwolves on Sunday, Mike Curtis of The Detroit News reports.
Lively took a knee to the back of the head and remained down for several minutes. He was helped to the locker room once he got up, but he was walking very gingerly. He'll presumably be evaluated for a concussion, and his status for the remainder of the game appears to be in jeopardy. Lively tallied six points (3-3 FG), three rebounds, two assists and a block in nine minutes prior to sustaining his injury.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Continues to impress
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Lively logged 14 points (6-6 FG, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes during Friday's 109-108 win over the Timberwolves in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
Lively was perfect from the field, and he continues to benefit from his close-range finishing ability by playing alongside two of the best passers in the league, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Lively is making his presence felt as an effective two-way threat in Dallas' postseason run, averaging 8.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 63.9 percent from the field across 14 playoff contests.
Lively had 12 points (5-6 FG, 2-3 FT), 15 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in 29 minutes during Saturday's 117-116 victory over the Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Lively continues to play well above his age, producing when it mattered most as the Mavericks eliminated the Thunder. Despite coming off the bench, Lively played the majority of the center minutes, recording his second straight double-double. Dallas will face either the Timberwolves or the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, and either team will provide Lively with elite opposition at the center position.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Efficient off bench in Game 5
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Lively totaled 11 points (3-4 FG, 5-6 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 104-92 win over the Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Lively has been playing off the bench due to the solid play of Daniel Gafford down low, but the rookie out of Duke made his presence felt on both ends of the court Wednesday. Aside from missing just one shot from the field, Lively was active defensively and recorded the first playoff double-double of his career. Lively is averaging 7.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in the postseason, and while he looked very good in this pivotal win, he's not expected to move to a starting role ahead of Game 6 on Saturday.
Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Close to double-double in Game 6
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Lively supplied 10 points (3-3 FG, 4-8 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and one steal across 24 minutes during Friday's 114-101 victory over the Clippers in Game 6 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Lively was perfect from the field, active on the glass and efficient in limited minutes. The rookie has shown he can be a valuable contributor on both ends of the court when called upon, but his fantasy upside won't be high if he continues to play off the bench.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Perfect from field Wednesday
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Lively racked up 12 points (5-5 FG, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and one block over 25 minutes during Wednesday's 123-93 win over the Clippers in Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Lively was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, outplaying Daniel Gafford despite coming off the bench. The Mavericks have the luxury of being able to lean on both players equally, providing them flexibility when one is outplaying the other. Lively and Gafford will once again be front and center when the two teams line up again Friday.
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Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Sees 21 minutes in win
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Lively contributed seven points (2-5 FG, 3-6 FT), nine rebounds, one assist and one steal in 21 minutes during Tuesday's 96-93 win over the Clippers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Daniel Gafford started this game, but he was ineffective in just nine minutes of action and left the game briefly due to a back injury. Lively had more success, obviously, but he didn't get a ton of burn either, as Maxi Kleber and P.J. Washington soaked up the bulk of the frontcourt minutes. The logjam at center is far from ideal for fantasy purposes for both Gafford and Lively.
Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Not listed on injury report
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Lively (knee) is not listed on the injury report ahead of Sunday's game against the Clippers.
Coach Jason Kidd said Friday that Lively was trending in the right direction and was on track to play in Sunday's series opener, so this is not entirely surprising, though it does boost the team's depth in the frontcourt. Lively should see decent minutes off the bench, although Daniel Gafford is expected to be the starting center, as was the case down the stretch in the regular season.
