Mavs' Dereck Lively II Details Upcoming Surgery to ‘Reset’ Broken Nose

Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II broke his nose recently and will undergo surgery to reset it on Monday, causing him to miss at least an upcoming game against the Sixers.

DALLAS — During the Dallas Mavericks' 131-129 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday, Dereck Lively II was struck in the face by Wendell Carter Jr., resulting in a broken nose. He finished the game, recording 20 points and 11 rebounds, but will soon need surgery to "reset" his nose. 

Lively practiced with the team on Friday, trying out a mask to see what it'd be like, but admitted there is still an ongoing process regarding handling it. He did confirm to reporters that a procedure is scheduled for Monday in Dallas. 

"Today, I gave a shot at being able to wear the mask, try to adjust it, and feel like it was going to be on the court," Lively said. "We're still going to try to be able to figure out what I'm going to be doing moving forward. But to say this now, I will have a procedure on Monday to reset my nose since it is broken."

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After attempting the mask, Lively made clear that he's not a fan of it, but understands the importance of testing the limits with it and gaining a comfort level if needed. He was initially listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but was later downgraded to doubtful. 

"Playing with a mask, I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy, but you have to go through the highs and lows and work through it," Lively said.

As a result of undergoing surgery on Monday, Lively will naturally miss the team's road matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. It was set to be his first time playing in his hometown in front of family and friends. 

"There were definitely a lot of people that I had,' Lively said. "A lot of family was gonna come out and support, but I hope that my team goes out there and plays together well and just develops the trust that we wanna continue to build."

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Looking ahead, Lively will soon represent the Mavs at the Rising Stars Challenge at 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend. He's the first member of the organization to be selected for this event since Luka Doncic during his first two NBA season. Lively is grateful to be selected and is excited for the moment. 

“But you got to be able to be grateful,” Lively said. “To be given this chance is amazing. At the beginning of the season, if you told me I’d be able to get this far – no way, I wouldn’t have imagined it. So just being able to know I’m going to this game, I’m excited to be part of the atmosphere and getting to know everybody.”

“I’m just grateful for people to acknowledge me. I’m just going there to meet everybody. I wouldn’t say there’s one person I’m going there to look for.”

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Lively has had the opportunity to speak with Doncic about the experience of the Rising Stars Challenge. His teammate explained the importance of having fun.

“I’ve only been able to pick the brain of Luka,” Lively said. “And he just said go out there and have a great time. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Just enjoy yourself and have fun.”

Doncic made a half-court shot while putting on a show during his performance at the Rising Stars Challenge in 2019. Lively joked that while he's unsure if he'll hit a shot that far out like Doncic did, he's confident dunking would be something Doncic did not do.

“I don’t know if I can do all that,” Lively said. “But I can dunk it, which I know he didn’t do.”