Mavs vs. Spurs Injury Update: Dereck Lively II Returns to Face Victor Wembanyama After 7-Game Absence

After missing seven games due to a broken nose, Dallas Mavericks rookie big man Dereck Lively II is returning to action against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

Dalton Trigg | Feb 14, 2024

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After being listed as questionable to play in the Dallas Mavericks' Wednesday night matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, rookie big man Dereck Lively II has officially been cleared to return to action after missing seven consecutive games due to a broken nose he suffered in a 131-129 win over the Orlando Magic on Jan. 29.

Lively, who just turned 20 years old on Monday and was serenaded by the American Airlines Center crowd during the Mavs' win over the Washington Wizards, has been an important piece for Dallas despite being a rookie. He's averaging 9.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 73.9 percent from the field, and the Mavs are 9-9 on the season when he doesn't suit up.

Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks — Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

There will be a different dynamic for Lively on Wednesday, though, as he won't be pressured to be the Mavs' only defensive anchor now that Daniel Gafford is part of the mix. Since the Mavs acquired Gafford in a trade from the Wizards before the deadline, he's averaging 17.5 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks through two games played.

Having a full 48 minutes with either Lively or Gafford on the floor at all times should do wonders for the Mavs' defense going forward ... and it will certainly make life a little easier for Dallas' star backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

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The last time Lively matched up with Spurs' Rookie of the Year candidate Victor Wembanyama, it was the season opener in San Antonio where the Mavs came away with a 126-119 win. Lively arguably outplayed Wembanyama in that game, as he finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, one block and one steal while shooting 7-8 from the field and being a +20 in 30 minutes off the bench.

The Mavs are trying to extend their current league-high five-game winning streak to six games with a win over a Spurs team that has lost eight of its last nine contests. Check back in at DallasBasketball.com later on for extensive coverage following the game.

Published Feb 14, 2024

DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Editor-In-Chief for Dallas Basketball, as well as the Executive Editor overseeing Inside The Rockets, Inside The Spurs, All Knicks, and The Magic Insider. He is the founder and host for the Mavs Step Back Podcast, which is a proud part of the Blue Wire podcast network. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. After spending a few years with multiple Dallas Mavericks-related blogs, including SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, Trigg joined DallasBasketball.com as a staff writer in 2018 and never looked back. At the start of 2022, he was promoted to the EIC title he holds now. Through the years, Trigg has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Mavs GM Nico Harrison, now-retired legend Dirk Nowitzki and many other current/former players and team staffers. Many of those interviews and other articles by Trigg have been aggregated by other well-known sports media websites, such as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and others. You can find Trigg on all major social media channels, but his most prevalent platform is on Twitter. Whether it’s posting links to his DBcom work, live-tweeting Mavs games or merely giving his opinions on things going on with Dallas and the rest of the NBA, the daily content never stops rolling. For any inquiries, please email Dalton@MavsStepBack.com.