Mavericks Rule Out Dereck Lively II and P.J. Washington Against Bulls: 'We're Taking it Day by Day'
Dallas Mavericks rule out Dereck Lively II and P.J. Washington vs. Bulls due to injuries. Lively’s shoulder sprain and Washington’s knee strain challenge lineup depth.
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks ruled out Dereck Lively II for Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls. Lively has been ruled out with a right shoulder sprain, marking his second consecutive missed game.
The Mavericks had to make a last-minute adjustment on Monday before the loss against the Indiana Pacers when Lively, who had gone through his pregame routine and was initially absent from the injury report, was scratched shortly before tipoff.
“I don’t know exactly when he got hurt,” head coach Jason Kidd said after Monday’s game. “He was scratched right before our meeting, so they’ll have pictures on his shoulder tomorrow to see what’s going on.”
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In six games this season, Lively has averaged 9.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 23 minutes, providing Dallas with vital interior defense, rebounding, and scoring efficiency. His absence adds to the Mavericks’ frontcourt challenges, with Danté Exum (right wrist surgery) and Maxi Kleber (right hamstring strain) sidelined without a clear return timeline.
Offering a cautiously optimistic update on Lively’s status before Wednesday’s game, Kidd said the injury is “trending in the right direction” and that Lively “is feeling better.” However, he noted that they’re taking it “day by day.”
The Mavericks started Naji Marshall at power forward without P.J. Washington, who was ruled out by a right knee sprain he suffered against the Pacers. Kidd similarly described Washington, who is averaging 9.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals, as “day by day.”
Washington had been stepping into a small-ball center role and is out with a knee sprain; the Mavericks may be forced to play a larger lineup. Kidd explained that the team might not be able to go small and may need to stay big, with Olivier-Maxence Prosper as a possible small ball five if they choose to go that route. However, the center rotation will rely on Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell.
“We might not be able to go small, so we might have to stay big, and that’s all right. But if we have to go small, you look at O-Max being able to play the five if we have to go small,” Kidd explained. “DP [Dwight Powell] is up, Gafford has to play, so I don’t know if we can really go small… But I think, looking at going small, it’s probably something that is not on the table right now, just because of who we have and who’s out. When you look at PJ, he’s able to go small, and he’s done that for us at a very high level.”
With Washington out, Kidd emphasized the importance of a team effort on defense, adding, “P.J. has been great, but tonight we’ll look at Marshall to help slow down their offensive threats. Everyone, including Luka, Kyrie, and Klay, will need to contribute defensively.”
The Bulls also face injury concerns. Zach LaVine has been ruled out with a right adductor strain, while Patrick Williams (right shoulder strain) and Josh Giddey (non-COVID illness) were upgraded to available for Wednesday’s game.
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