The Mavericks are just a win away from locking their playoff berth. Apart from that, they are also on the verge of clean-sweeping the dominant Timberwolves. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving jointly take pride in keeping Anthony Edwards & Co. at bay. Moreover, it isn’t just the backcourt star who made it all happen but the strong supporting cast like PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford. Tonight, they seemingly have one more final go at the American Airlines Center in Game 4 of the Conference Finals.

However, the team has a major setback involving the rookie center, Dereck Lively II. The team ruled him out for Game 4, citing neck sprain. This is an after-effect of the grave collision he sustained in Game 3. In an attempt to collect a rebound, Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns rammed his knee into the back of Lively’s head. The 20-year-old rookie was on the floor for several minutes and looked in discomfort as the staff assisted him to the locker room.

D-Lively’s absence could hamper the Mavs’ progress in the series. The rookie center averaged 9.7 points with 7.7 rebounds, playing around 20 minutes per game in this series. Notably, he maintained 100% FG in this series, dropping a total of 29 points. While the Mavs already have a starting center, Daniel Gafford, to compensate for Lively’s absence, they need another backup.

Notably, Lively II didn’t play the role of a backup center. The Mavs coach Jason Kidd used his two centers alternatively to give consistent support at the rim. Nevertheless, in Game 3, Kidd introduced 6 ’11 Dwight Powell to take care of the paint during Gafford’s off-court minutes.

Speaking of Lively II’s injury, Luka Doncic said, “He helps us so, so much in these playoffs and in the regular season… Obviously, we’re going to miss him if he can’t play,” after the game.

Without Dereck Lively II, will the Mavs still have the upper hand?

In the absence of Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford will have to compensate with extended minutes. Moreover, he also had a simulation of Game 4 in the last game itself. Usually, Gafford plays 21 minutes per game, and in Lively’s absence, he played 29 minutes in Game 3. And the minutes could go above 30 tonight. Meanwhile, Dwight Powell will take care of the remaining minutes.

Apart from the rookie center situation, the Mavs have a grave injury situation with their star guard Luka Doncic. The team listed Questionable with knee and ankle injuries which he has been dealing with throughout the postseason. And, in his absence, the team can send Tim Hardaway Jr. Dante Exum, and Jaden Hardy to the starting lineup.

However, in the last game, Kidd preferred Jaden Hardy over the other two, playing more minutes from the bench. So Hardy might get a call-up for tonight’s game. Keeping the injury report into consideration, the Mavs’ depth chart might look like this.

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Given the vulnerable state of the Mavs’ side, the Wolves have a chance to force Game 5. Following the game, a report stated Anthony Edwards’ upbeat attitude in the locker room, hyping up his teammates for tonight’s game. Will the Wolves force Game 5? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow in what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.