Dallas Mavericks give injury updates for Luka Doncic, Dereck Lively II ahead of Game 5 vs. Timberwolves
The Dallas Mavericks are hoping to close out their series with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night. But the Timberwolves have new hope after they escaped Game 4 with a victory in Dallas. The Mavericks lead the series 3-1 and they got some great news ahead of Game 5. According to the Mavs PR Twitter page, Luka Doncic (right knee sprain, left ankle soreness) and Dereck Lively II (neck sprain) will both be available for Thursday night’s game.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper (left ankle sprain) will be out for the Mavericks, according to the tweet.
The Mavericks dominated the Timberwolves on Thursday night to the tune of a 124-103. The game was never remotely close. Doncic was scorching hot early and propelled Dallas to a 35-19 lead over Minnesota in the first quarter. They didn’t look back the rest of the way, with Minnesota only cutting into the Mavs lead by six points in the second half.
Doncic and Kyrie Irving both could not be stopped, with each of them pouring in 36 points to bounce Minnesota in humiliating fashion. Doncic also stuffed the stat sheet with 10 rebounds and five assists, while shooting 64% from the field. His stats in the Western Conference Finals were absurdly good: 32.4 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game, and 8.2 assists per game. He also shot 43.4% from three-point range, bringing home WCF MVP honors.
The Mavericks will now face off against the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals, the former team of Kyrie Irving. The Mavs connected on 15 of their 34 shots from beyond-the-arc, hitting 44.1%. And Minnesota only hit 10 of 32 shots from deep, drilling 31.3%.
Dereck Lively stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals will be on Thursday, June 6th. The game will be on at 8:30 PM EST and will be nationally televised on ABC.
The finals between the Mavericks and Celtics should be a fascinating series. The Celtics are led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Both players have averaged over 25 points a game and are among the best players in the league. Tatum is averaging 26 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.
One major piece that will definitely play a role if he returns for Boston, is Kristaps Porzingis. As of Thursday, his return is likely. Let’s hope for an entertaining series.