Dereck Lively II Elevating Mavericks Defense to Take Series Lead

Dallas' rookie has been continually impactful throughout the postseason, and he's taken advantage of the opportunity.

May 11, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) reacts after scoring | Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

In a Game 3 full of anticipation and pressure, the Dallas Mavericks claimed their second win in a row against the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a 2-1 lead in the series -- shooting lights out and limiting one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league.

Behind impressive defensive stands in the past two outings, Dereck Lively II has continued to play a large hand in the action as he builds invaluable experience as just a rookie. As a reserve, Lively's defensive impact is one that is hard to curb with his measurables, timing and antipatory instincts. His formula allows for Jason Kidd to put him on the floor with trust that he'll be a rim deterrent and lob threat to bolster his backcourt.

And though he hasn't had the flashiest stat lines throughout the series as a scorer, a 12-point outing on 2-of-7 from the field with eight boards was enough offensive production to steer Dallas to a 105-101 victory on Saturday.

But his impact on the other end of the floor is where he makes his money, especially so far in this series matching up against Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams. His interior presence affects all three levels and the Thunder's decision-making, as it's helped suppress Oklahoma City to just 33.3% from three in their two wins. Dallas has found a recipe to fluster the Thunder offense, and the rookie has been a strong cog in the machine.

Taking care of their first home game in the series, Dallas and Lively will be in fantastic shape if they're able to pull out Game 4 on Monday.

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.