Dereck Lively injury update: Mavericks center shares latest status of his neck injury
Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively took a knee to the back of his head during WCF Game 3. But a hit to the head in Game 5 made it all the worse. However, the big man finished the elimination game and provided a promising update regarding his situation.
The first incident occurred during the second quarter of Dallas' 116-107 over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Center Karl-Anthony Towns soared high in an attempt to secure the offensive board when his knee made contact with Lively. The rookie was already falling to the ground after coming down from a rebounding try.
ClutchPoints' Joey Mistretta shared Lively's comment on X. The rookie turned his head in all directions and said:
"I'm great. Everyone's going to ask and everyone's been asking for the past couple of days. I'm alright. You know, if I'm going to get hit in the head another three-four times, I'm still going to get back up and act like it didn't happen."
Lively logged 25 minutes of action on the court during the elimination game. But Timberwolves center Naz Reid's right hand made contact with Lively's head when trying to block his shot. It happened after Lively got Reid up in the air from a pump fake, resulting in an awkward angle for the 6MOTY to block his shot.
As the Mavericks prepare for their NBA Finals matchup with the Boston Celtics, this promising update from Lively relieves fans. The Mavericks will need every hand on deck for their head-to-head matchup against the team with the best regular season record in the league.
Dereck Lively talked about what he felt when he took a knee to the back of his head during WCF Game 3
Following his injury incident in WCF Game 3, Dereck Lively reassured fans that he was feeling alright despite some reservations, per WFAA's Zachary Yanes.
"At first I was a little scared of a concussion," Lively said, "because, you know, you get a knee to the back of the neck, the head. ... It kind of just makes a chain reaction go down your back, go down your neck. So, just trying to be able to just be more cautious of my body. Trying to figure out what I can and can't do, just testing it out."
Throughout this postseason run, Lively has been a tremendous asset to the team. He provides rim protection and lob threat. Although he will play in his first NBA Playoffs, the Mavericks rookie has stood out with impressive confidence.
Lively feels well despite experiencing two physical contacts in his head area. It is a welcome update that he won't be missing playing time.