Injury Update: Dereck Lively II Rejoins Mavs Before Bulls Matchup After 1-Game Absence
CHICAGO — The Dallas Mavericks have a matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night to close out a two-game road trip. The Mavs defeated the Detroit Pistons with a final score of 142-124 without Dereck Lively II available to play due to personal reasons.
Lively rejoined the Mavs in Chicago for Sunday's practice at Wintrust Arena. All signs point to him being available to play against the Bulls.
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The Mavs have no injuries listed on the team's injury report before Monday's game, with the only players ruled out being those on G League assignments, including Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Brandon Williams, Alex Fudge, and Greg Brown III.
Daniel Gafford has filled the starting center role for the Mavs over the past two games, including his performance with 17 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks while shooting a perfect 7-7 from the floor against the Pistons. He remains focused on anchoring the defense.
“I felt like I came out and was trying to take that next step forward and just being physical,” Gafford said. “And also being in the right spots on the defensive end trying to be the anchor. I was just being there for my teammates. It’s a fast-paced game and there’s a lot of things that are going to happen down the stretch, and a lot of guys are probably going to get beat off the dribble at the end of the day. So, I’m the last line of defense, so I’ve got to protect home.”
There's an emphasis the Mavs are placing on their matchup against the Bulls, stressing how each game is important. However, a specific part of the game the team seeks to carry over into their upcoming performance is how frequently they moved the ball and attacked the paint against the Pistons.
“Starting off the road trip, it’s about understanding the importance of each game," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "The ball is moving, we’re sharing the ball. We’re talking about getting better shots and wide-open looks. Some of them we’re not going to make, it’s just part of the game. I thought we were consistent in that area.
"I thought the big thing was to start with the ball touching the paint, that’s where we wanted to get to early and often," Kidd continued. "I thought we did that on a consistent basis tonight...Everyone’s touching the ball. We’re trying to get everyone involved, and everybody responded tonight, so we have to build on this.”
Lively has averaged 8.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 24.6 minutes per game this season, and is expected to continue to come off the bench.
