Dereck Lively II On The Thunder’s Hack-A-Shaq Strategy Against Him

Lively hasn't been a reliable free throw shooter this season, shooting 50.6% from the line over the season. With Maxi Kleber being injured, the Mavs had to trust Lively with late fourth-quarter minutes where the Thunder tried to halt the Mavs' momentum on offense by sending Lively to the line, a tactic known as the Hack-A-Shaq due to how teams deployed it against Shaquille O'Neal.

Lively shot 16-24 from the line this series at a 66.7% clip. He delivered when the Mavericks needed him to and will be relied upon as they take on the Wolves in the Conference Finals. There are hilarious clips of the thunder trying to foul Lively, with the 7'1" center sprinting around half-court trying to avoid Chet Holmgren.

The All-Rookie Second Team selection lost his mother at the end of the regular season. Kathy Drysdale was a single mother who raised Dereck into the NBA star he is today. The former collegiate player shared an incredibly close bond with her son, who dedicated the Mavs' Conference Finals berth to her.

Lively averaged 7.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game over the six-game series, coming off the bench and providing a spark to the Mavericks defense. He had a series-high plus-minus of +71, leading to massive success for the Mavs every time he was on the court.

The Mavericks Are Four Wins Away From The NBA Finals

The Dallas Mavericks have made their second Conference Finals appearance in three seasons, returning to the final round of the West after missing the Playoffs last season. The Mavericks tanked at the end of last season to keep the pick that they used to draft Lively, so the one season of pain might have set the Mavericks up for years.

GM Nico Harrison has vested a lot into this team, with picks from the 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030 NBA Drafts already traded to assemble the young roster we see in the Conference Finals. While the team will continue to grow around each other, they went all-in on a robust rotation of players to win now. They're delivering as well as anybody expected.

The Timberwolves will present a challenge for the Mavericks' offense, as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will be matched up with Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards respectively. When the Mavs perimeter offense has flatlined, they've relied on centers Daniel Gafford and Lively to finish opportunities at the rim, a less-than-dependable prospect in the face of Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in the Wolves paint.

The Mavs' defense is well-equipped to suffocate the Wolves offense, which hasn't been elite at any point this season. This will be a grimy series with defense likely setting the tone. It'll be fascinating to watch it play out, with both teams realistic contenders to make it to the NBA Finals.