Photo credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Masked Duke Basketball Pro Passes Test in Return From Injury
On Wednesday night, a little more than two weeks since suffering a nasal fracture at the hands of Orlando Magic big man and fellow Duke basketball product Wendell Carter Jr., Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II returned to action in a 116-93 home win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Lively, who came off the board No. 12 overall at the NBA Draft and now sits at No. 7 on the Kia Rookie Ladder, tallied eight points, five rebounds, one assist, and four blocks in the contest without committing a single foul or turnover.
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The 7-foot-1 center, a full-time starter before the injury, shot 3-for-5 from the field and 2-for-2 at the foul line despite the distraction from having to wear a large protective mask. And he posted a game-high plus-minus of +27 across his 17 minutes off the bench.
Through 37 appearances, Dereck Lively II is averaging 9.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks while shooting an off-the-charts 73.6 percent from the field. According to StatMuse, the mere 20-year-old leads the league in field goal percentage this season in every quarter except the first. Note the rise from one quarter to the next:
Wednesday night marked the sixth straight win by the Mavericks (32-23), now No. 7 in the Western Conference. Their other NBA Blue Devil, guard Kyrie Irving, led all scorers with 34 points in his team-high 33 minutes as a starter, shooting a blistering 15-for-22 from the field while adding nine boards, seven dimes, two steals, and one block.
As for the Spurs' Duke basketball treasure, starting floor general Tre Jones had a cold shooting night, including an 0-for-4 clip from three, on his way recording only four points, four rebounds, and two assists, albeit with zero turnovers in his 20 minutes. San Antonio (11-44) remains at the bottom of the West standings.
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