Mavericks’ Luka Doncic raves about Dereck Lively’s ceiling amid playoff breakout

Lively is truly playing much better than most rookies in the league in the postseason. The Mavericks center is currently ranked fifth in plus-minus (+108) this postseason, with only Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Rudy Gobert ahead of him. Dereck Lively has averaged 8.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game in the playoffs. He’s also come up big when his number is called and is playing his role to a tee.

Lively’s consistency is allowing Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and everyone else on the roster to play more freely. The Mavericks are in a great position for a possible championship right now and Dereck Lively is one of the reasons why.

Can Mavericks close out series vs. Timberwolves?

The Mavericks took Game 1 with a three-point lead then stole Game 2 away after Luka Doncic hit a last-second shot to take a one-point lead. Both games have been extremely close throughout, so there’s a chance the Timberwolves can get back in it making the right adjustments.

That means Dallas will need to put the pedal to the metal and try to win Game 3. Winning that contest all but guarantees the series, as no team in league history has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit in the postseason.

At the end of the day, Doncic and Irving have been on a tear. Opposing teams have had no luck in slowing either of them down. But if they can both continue playing well then the Mavericks should be able to move on to the next round.

They’ll need to make sure to slow down Anthony Edwards as much as possible. Additionally, continuing to defend Karl-Anthony Towns closely could be the difference-maker in this series. The Mavericks will have a chance to take a demanding 3-0 lead as they face off against the Timberwolves on Sunday, May 26.