Key Starter Leaves Mavericks-Nuggets With Injury

The rising star would be ruled out a few minutes later.

Jan 14, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) dunks the ball against the Denver Nuggets during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks played the Denver Nuggets for the second straight game on Tuesday night, with the Nuggets roaring out to a massive 26-point lead at halftime after winning part one on Sunday. Part of building that big lead was a starter going out early in the first quarter for the Mavs.

Dereck Lively II rolled his ankle going for a rebound against Nikola Jokic and would leave the game for his normal substitution minutes after that. He'd go back to the locker room, where he'd almost immediately be ruled out for the rest of the game with a right ankle sprain.

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Lively had four points in the four minutes he played, and Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell haven't been able to keep up with DeAndre Jordan, much less Nikola Jokic. Jamal Murray was the biggest cause for the large lead, but Dallas hasn't been able to get stops without Lively on the floor.

This is just another injury in a long line of them for the Mavs this season. They just got Kyrie Irving back after a five-game absence for a back injury in this game, but he only got to be on the floor for four minutes before someone else went down. Luka Doncic is still out with a calf strain, Dante Exum hasn't played after wrist surgery in the preseason, nearly everyone has dealt with an illness, Klay Thompson missed some games with plantar fascia, and Lively has missed games due to various ailments. Hopefully, this is like Daniel Gafford's ankle sprain last week and he doesn't miss much time.

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