Kofi Inkoom
6:25 PM : Dereck Lively is available for tonight’s game 5 vs Timberwolves
1:30 PM : Dallas Mavericks rookie center Dereck Lively II, who has been dealing with a neck sprain, is nearing his return and is listed as a game-time decision for Thursday’s Game 5 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals.
Lively II participated in shootaround and is set to undergo a more intensive individual workout to assess his capabilities. Speaking to reporters after shootaround, Lively mentioned that he still needs to do some more work to gauge his neck stiffness and pain tolerance. He currently feels good, but this will be his first significant workout since the neck injury occurred.
He sprained his neck during the second quarter of Dallas’ 116-107 victory in Game 3, causing Lively to miss Game 4’s 105-100 loss to Minnesota. Fortunately, he avoided concussion protocol after holding his head while on the court for several minutes.
As a first-round Draft pick, Lively has been a significant presence inside for the Mavericks, forming a formidable duo with Daniel Gafford.
This tandem outperformed Minnesota’s tall front line of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert as Dallas took a 3-0 lead in the series. Although the Wolves managed to avoid elimination in Game 4, they still face a 3-1 series deficit.
In the 2024 playoffs, Lively is averaging 8.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting an impressive 65.3%.