Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said rookie Dereck Lively II suffered a mild left ankle sprain on Wednesday in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Lively suffered the injury midway through the third quarter when he appeared to step on the foot of Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson while driving toward the basket. He was helped off the court and eventually ruled out of returning.
He recorded four rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals.
Kidd said Lively and Grant Williams, who also suffered a sprained ankle, would receive treatment for their injuries, and the team would see how they felt on Thursday. They host the Trail Blazers on Friday.
Dereck Lively II was helped off the floor after appearing to injure his leg. pic.twitter.com/AWZEmCfAVh
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) January 4, 2024
Lively missed time after spraining that ankle on Dec. 16, which, coincidentally, happened against the Trail Blazers. He was placed in a walking boot and returned after missing four games.
The 12th pick has emerged as a key player with the Mavericks.
He has started in 28 of his 29 games, averaging 8.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 assists on 72.3% shooting from the field. He ranks among the rookie leaders in several categories, including points (10th), rebounds (fourth) and blocks (third).
“We feel for him,” said Kyrie Irving, who had 29 points. “We feel for Grant, but especially for our young fella. He has been dealing with the reality of the NBA season: Anything can happen. You can go down with an injury any game. It is tough on anyone, mentally. I know it is tough on him because he knows how important he is for our team.”
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