Confirmed:D Lively Laments He May Not Come Back With His Present Injury Status…
Mavs GM Nico Harrison told The Dallas Morning News that no diagnosis will be determined until the team returns to Dallas on Wednesday, at which time Lively will be examined.
Center has been a position of strength for the Mavericks, but a knee injury to rookie Dereck Lively II will test Dallas in the middle for perhaps as long as two weeks.
Lively initially was listed as questionable for Tuesday night’s game against the Warriors, but he missed Dallas’ morning shootaround and by mid-afternoon he was declared out.
Though officially the injury is listed as “right knee soreness,” coach Jason Kidd used the word “sprain,” when describing the injury, though general manager Nico Harrison later told The Dallas Morning News that no diagnosis will be determined until the team returns to Dallas on Wednesday, at which time Lively will be examined.
“It could be two weeks where he could be out, but we’ll see how he feels,” Kidd said. “We’ll take it day by day, but hopefully he’s back sooner than later.
Lively sustained the injury during Sunday’s 18-point win in Houston, leaving the game with what the Mavericks described as a lower-leg injury. When he returned from the locker room to the bench, he was wearing a light knee brace.
The regular season ends on April 14, so a two-week timeframe would push Lively’s return to the postseason.
If the Mavericks, who are fifth in the Western Conference, maintain a placing of sixth or higher, they would avoid the April 16-19 play-in tournament and wouldn’t begin the playoffs until April 20th or 21st.
Lively is averaging 8.8 points and 6.9 rebounds. He has been coming off the bench since pre-deadline acquisition Daniel Gafford moved into the starting lineup.