It's one of the very beautiful stories of this season, and even one of the most moving since he lost his mother during the season, struck down by cancer. At only 20 years old, Derek Lively II brought the Mavericks back to life with two “double-doubles” in a row. Only Magic Johnson had achieved the feat of compiling several “double-doubles” in a final at the same age. As Luka Doncic confided after Game 4, “his progress is incredible to watch”.
For Jason Kidd, his potential is limitless. Even the person concerned has difficulty believing what is happening to him.
“A year ago, I would not have expected to find myself in this situation when I was anticipating the Draft” he remembers. “It’s June 15 and the selection takes place in a week. Last year, a week before the Draft, my heart was beating hard because I didn't know what was going to happen. And now I’m playing Finals…”
The playoffs allow you to learn more about yourself
“Energizer” of the Mavericks, Lively brings enthusiasm, relaxation, races, and even a 3-pointer in the corner. On Sunday, we saw him make three in training during a shooting drill. The Celtics will no longer be able to ignore him when he goes to stick himself in a corner. And then there is this intensity on the offensive rebound. In Game 4, he caught 7, which turned into 14 points on extra possessions. For him, the Mavericks are never as good as when their backs are against the wall. This is the lesson to learn from his first playoffs.
“I feel like we go out there and play like we're desperate. That's the mentality we have to have in these games, to do everything in our power to win.” he explained Friday evening. “Whether it's diving out of bounds, diving on the ball, tackling someone, trying to be aggressive and tough. A lot of this playoff campaign, and this series, has been about finding out who we are, knowing how far we can take hits, and then fighting back. It's really a pthe pleasure of seeing my teammates and I evolve and adapt to each other depending on what is happening on the field. »
Resisting pressure from the Boston public
Tonight, he will still have to save his skin, but it will be in Boston. Last week, Derek Lively explained that he expected a bigger atmosphere. But tonight, in a deciding game, he thinks Celtics fans will go wild. “It’s going to be noisy and unpleasant. You have to do your best not to focus on the audience. Lots of people will talk to you. On social networks, walking in the street, in the hotel room, at the hotel, you will hear people talking to you, you will hear people calling out to you when you arrive at the room. It's part of the game. It's part of the job. You have to face adversity and people who always tell you that you can't do it… And you have to do it! »
