Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II will undergo a medical procedure on Monday to correct a nasal fracture suffered on Jan. 29 in a win over the Orlando Magic.
Lively sustained the injury late in the fourth quarter after Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. inadvertently struck him in the face while attempting to swipe toward the ball. Lively remained in the game after Carter was assessed a flagrant-1 foul.
The 12th pick has missed the past two games for the Mavericks and will not travel with the team on its upcoming three-game road trip beginning Monday in Philadelphia. His status for the rest of the trip will be determined following the procedure.
“We’ve got to get through the procedure first,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “I think there will be (an update) after the procedure if he is going to travel. Let’s make sure everything goes well with the procedure.”
Lively practiced with the Mavericks on Friday for the first time in a protective mask. He will likely need it once he is cleared to play after the surgery and could be required to keep it on for the foreseeable future to prevent further damage.
However, Lively isn’t a fan of it.
“I wouldn’t wish that upon my worst enemy,” Lively said. “But you’ve got to be able to go through the highs and lows and just work through it. I gave it a shot of being able to wear the mask and try to adjust it and feel like how it’s going to be on the court.”
Lively appeared to have no hard feelings toward Carter following the play. Carter immediately checked on Lively afterward on the court and even sent him a message on X, formerly known as Twitter.
All good just lookin like Pinocchio over here😭😭 https://t.co/OJDPBqLW7M
— Dereck Lively II (@DereckLively) January 30, 2024
Lively has started in 35 of his 36 games, averaging 9.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 assists on 73.9% shooting from the field. He ranks among the rookie leaders in several categories: Points (10th), rebounds (second), offensive rebounds (first) and blocks (third).
The 19-year-old was among the 11 first-year players selected to participate in the NBA Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend. He became the first Mavericks player to compete in the annual showcase since Luka Doncic in 2019 and 2020.
“Being able to be fortunate enough to be given this chance is amazing,” Lively said. “At the beginning of the season, if you told me I’d be able to get this far, I would have been like, ‘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 a part of the atmosphere and get to know everybody.”
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