The Dallas Mavericks will look to close things out in the 2024 Western Conference finals again this Thursday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, they may have to try finishing off Anthony Edwards and the T’wolves anew without the services of rookie big man Dereck Lively II.
The first-year center out of Duke suffered an upper-body injury in Game 3 when he got inadvertently hit in the head by the knee of Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns.
That caused Lively to miss Game 4, where the Mavericks suffered a 105-100 home loss.
Will Dereck Lively II play in Game 5 of the Dallas Mavericks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves series?
Lively seems to have a good chance of returning to action in Game 5.
Via Mark Followill:
For Game 5 of the Mavs and Timberwolves tomorrow night, Dereck Lively II has been upgraded to questionable. He missed a lot of Game 3 and was unavailable in Game 4 due to a neck sprain.
The official NBA injury report for Thursday also has Lively listed as questionable with the same neck sprain that forced him out of Game 4.
Lively was among the most reliable peripheral Mavericks weapons before he suffered the injury. So far in the series, he is averaging 9.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. He is also shooting 100% from the field in the series. Plus, Lively is leading the Mavs in the conference finals with 3.0 offensive rebounds per outing.
For More NBA, WNBA, and College Basketball Content:
Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) at @Rexwell14. Also, do not forget to follow us at @HardwoodHeroics for even more great basketball content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in the world of the NBA, college basketball, and also the WNBA, while the 2024 NBA Playoffs are also in full swing, click here!
