Dereck Lively II Left Game 3 After Getting Kneed In The Head By Karl-Anthony Towns
TNT
Dereck Lively II has been a godsend for the Dallas Mavericks, as the rookie center has given the Mavs exactly what they’ve needed out of the five spot on both ends of the floor.
Since the Daniel Gafford trade, the Mavs have been able to rotate Gafford and Lively in order to keep an elite shot-blocker on the floor at all times, while also providing Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving with a hard rolling lob threat. This postseason, Lively has been huge for Dallas, averaging 8.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game off the bench, but his impact goes beyond the boxscore, as Dallas has been a juggernaut on both ends in his minutes.
Lively continued his strong play early in Game 3 against Minnesota, scoring 6 points (on 3-of-3 from the field) with three rebounds, two assists, and one block in his first nine minutes of action. However, his night got cut suddenly short after a scary collision with Karl-Anthony Towns, as Lively fell to the floor going for a rebound and took a Towns knee to the back of his head.
VIDEO:Dereck Lively II gets accidentally knee'd in the head by Karl-Anthony Towns (+ replays) pic.twitter.com/9JMig0QhJI
— 3030 (@jose3030) May 27, 2024
Lively stayed down for a few minutes getting tended to and needed a teammate’s assistance as he walked back to the locker room looking very unsteady. We will await an official status update on Lively from the Mavericks, but for now Dallas will have to adjust their rotations with one of their key frontcourt contributors missing.
UPDATE: After halftime, the Mavs announced Lively was questionable to return with a neck sprain, indicating he had not exhibited concussion-like symptoms in the first half hour of evaluation. They would later announce he was out for the game with that neck sprain.
Dereck Lively II (neck sprain) will not return to tonight's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) May 27, 2024
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings