Dereck Lively II Injured In Game 3
6 months agoDallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (neck) won't return to Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals versus Minnesota. The 20-year-old has been huge for Dallas during this series, averaging 11.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists heading into Sunday night. But he left early in the contest after taking a knee from Karl-Anthony Towns to the back of his head, so he'll finish the night having logged only nine minutes. Lively's presence in the middle is needed for a Dallas team that has to deal with Towns and Rudy Gobert. With that said, the neck sprain Lively suffered will likely put him on the injury report for Game 4. If he can't go, Daniel Gafford could see more minutes in the middle, although P.J. Washington and Dwight Powell could also get work at the five.
Source: Grant Afseth
Source: Grant Afseth