Dereck Lively shares message to late mother after advancing to Western Conference Finals

Just one month after losing his mother, former Duke basketball star Dereck Lively helped the Dallas Mavericks close out a playoff series. He shared a message for her afterwards.

Just one month after he lost his mother to cancer, former Blue Devil Dereck Lively earned the admiration of America with his 12-point, 15-rebound double-double to help the Dallas Mavericks clinch their second-round series with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After a decade-long battle with cancer, Kathy Drysdale passed away on April 12. In a social media tribute after her death, Lively described her as his superhero.

“There is no one in this world that can love you more than your mother,” he wrote.

On Saturday night, Lively made five of his six shots from the floor and two of his three free-throw attempts during the victory. It was his second consecutive double-double, and he added a playoff-high three assists.

He earned a plus-minus of +26 during just 30 minutes on the floor, and the Mavericks won the game by a single point.

Shortly after the win, which advanced Dallas to the Western Conference Finals, Lively shared a short message on his Instagram.

“Love u momma. Miss u momma. Just sit back n watch,” Lively wrote.

Fans noticed Lively throw his arms to the sky and look up after the final buzzer, almost assuredly thinking of his mom as the victory sank in.

The Mavericks will play either the Denver Nuggets or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the conference championship series, and Lively is four wins away from his first trip to the NBA Finals.