Dereck Lively II puts up first NBA Finals double-double of his career

Dereck Lively II, still just a rookie, put together 11 points and 13 rebounds (including some epic dunks) in 30 minutes off the bench on Wednesday.

For the first time in his career, [autotag]Dereck Lively II[/autotag] put together a double-double in the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.

The former Blue Devil played 30 minutes off the bench and made five of his six shot attempts to finish with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Both totals are his highest in each category so far in the three-game series, although he’s averaging 8.3 rebounds per game across just 22.3 minutes on the court.

The rookie 7-footer, in his first career postseason, also put up two double-doubles against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second round of the playoffs, including a staggering 15 rebounds in the clinching Game 6 victory. He also pulled down 11 rebounds against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first game of the Western Conference finals, although he only scored nine points.

So far, through his first 18 postseason games, Lively is averaging 7.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 65.9% from the field. He’s also blocking more than one shot per night.

Despite Lively’s performance, the Mavericks lost 106-99 to fall down 3-0 in the series. They now must win four straight games to bring home the championship.