Dereck Lively II Returns to Mavs Lineup After Ankle Injury vs. Pelicans

Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II returned to the lineup after missing five games due to an ankle injury in Monday's matchup against the Pelicans.

DALLAS — After being sidelined for the Dallas Mavericks' previous five games due to an ankle injury, Dereck Lively II returned to action against the New Orleans Pelicans. Both teams are completing the second part of a two-game mini-series that began with the Pelicans winning 118-108 on Saturday. 

The Mavs intend to see how Lively feels after giving an initial stretch of playing time in the first quarter. He played four-to-five minutes initially in his previous games when returning to the lineup after dealing with injuries. He started alongside Maxi Kleber, adding size to help contain Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas. 

"We'll probably give him a short stint to start and check on his wind," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "Practice times that have been limited. There hasn't been a lot. I don't think we can have 48 minutes, but we'll start with the first four or five minutes, then check in and see how he's doing."

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Lively dealt with an injury return without getting a full practice beforehand when he played against the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day. The goal is to keep his responsibilities on the court simple and lean into what he always does well in the paint on both ends of the floor.

"We'll lean heavily on that experience for Christmas. Just understand, keep it simple. He understands his role. He plays his role at a very high level. We're just going to ask him to do what he has done. 

"I think for the experience; he can lean into that, when you look at the Christmas game and being able to come back without the practices and just play and kind of do what he does, go straight, rebound the ball, and then change the shots and again, keeps it simple."

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Lively has averaged 8.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 29 games this season. The Mavs have gone 19-10 in his 29 appearances while 4-7 when he's out. His impact as an interior presence is apparent and vital to Dallas' success at just 19.