Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II will be sidelined at least four weeks with a right ankle stress fracture.
The Mavs announced Wednesday that the promising young second-year player will be re-evaluated in four weeks. If everything comes out clean for Lively in four weeks, he could possibly return in time to play in the Feb. 21 home game against New Orleans, which is the Mavs’ first game after the All-Star break.
Lively hasn’t played since he was injured against the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 14. He has missed the past four games, and his absence puts a strain on the Mavs in the middle. The only other active centers are Daniel Gafford and Maxi Kleber, because Dwight Powell ((right hip strain) is also on the injury list.
“Next man up,” said coach Jason Kidd, who has been through this constant injury/illness theme seemingly all season. “That’s why you have a team. Injuries. Illnesses. We’ve been through this before. We’re not looking for excuses. It’s just part of the sport.”
Lively is averaging 9.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, and shooting an amazing 70.1 percent from the field. Kidd said the Duke product is “disappointed” he’s not going to be able to play for a while.
“He wanted to get back,” Kidd said. “But the imaging just showed something different, so he’s out.”
So what’s the remedy for getting Lively back on the court?
“I think rest, and then hopefully rehab,” Kidd said. “But rest first. There’s nothing you can do but rest.”
In addition to Lively and Powell, the Mavs also played the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday without Luka Dončić (left calf strain), Klay Thompson (left ankle 
sprain), Naji Marshall (illness), Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain) and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery).
Kidd said he doesn’t have to say anything in particular to his players about the mountain of injuries that have plagued the Mavs this season.
“It’s just what it is,” he said. “We’re used to the injuries, so you just push forward. That’s all you can do.”
With all the injuries swirling around them and impacting their ability the win games, focusing on winning and staying present is of utmost importance to the Mavs.
“That’s our job,” guard Kyrie Irving said after Wednesday’s 115-114 loss to Minnesota. “If we don’t stay present and if we don’t put our best foot forward we’re going to get blown out every game. We’ve seen a couple of teams kind of just throw in the towel early in the season, but for us, even like you saw tonight, we’re a never-give-up type of team.
“Anytime I’m in the lineup or anybody is in the lineup, we feel like we have a great chance to win. It’s the toughest league in the world, but this is what comes with the job, this is what the expectations are. We still got to raise our level and just be there for each other a little bit more.”
Kidd also is not looking ahead to when the Mavs will be healthy, knowing that some of the players who are playing now will have experience once the playoffs start.
“That’s a crystal ball I wish I had, but I think to have these guys get the reps it just makes us deeper if we ever can get whole,” Kidd said. “But there’s no guarantee that we’ll get whole.
“What if? We can always play that game. But we look at it as a positive. These young players are going to get a lot of reps.”
Looking at the standings – the Mavs are in ninth place in the Western Conference with a 23-21 record — also is not something Kidd cares to do.
“I don’t think we’re looking at the standings,” he said. “We’re trying to figure out who can put on a uniform and go from there. And then put our best foot forward to compete and find a way to win.
“The record is something that is kept right now, but right now we’re just trying to stay healthy and again be judged on our energy and effort and find a way to win a game, and that’s all we’re focused on. Not closing out a series, not looking at our record. We’re just trying to find a way to win a game.”
RANDLE HAS A NEW HOME: After playing the past five seasons for the New York Knicks, forward Julius Randle was surprisingly traded last offseason to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns.
Randle, a graduate of Prestonwood Christian Academy in Plano, is averaging 18.9 points and 7.3 rebounds this season as he’s steadily fitting in with the Timberwolves’ way of doing things.
“He’s so compliant,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “He’s willing to do whatever we’ve asked him to do. We asked him early on to just be himself and we’ll try to fit in around you. Then we asked him to score. Then we’ve asked him to play-make, and then we’ve asked him to push tempo.
“We’ve asked him to do a lot of different things, and sometimes that keeps changing as we evolve as a team and figure out what we need. His versatility has been great. His shot attempts have been down, but he’s not losing his mind over that.”
An All-Star in three of the past four seasons, including the last two, Randle leads Minnesota in assists with 4.5 per game.
“He’s been really good at finding his teammates in the kick-out game,” Finch said. “He has a good chemistry with (Anthony Edwards) and has from the beginning. Defensively, he’s been open-minded. We’re really happy with how he’s been guarding.
“I think he’s mentally in a good place just because he realizes, we all realize, it’s a longer process than you think sometimes. We all want it to come together easy and early, but it just doesn’t.”
TRAVIS HUNTER IN THE HOUSE: Heisman trophy winner Travis Hunter sat courtside during Wednesday’s game.
Hunter, who was a two-way player for Colorado, received a nice ovation from the crowd and is expected to be one of the first five players chosen in this year’s NFL Draft. Mavs guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who played his college basketball at Colorado, said it’s cool to have a player of Hunter’s stature who attended the same college as him sitting courtside.
“It’s more-so like dope, just because obviously somebody from my school doing big things,” Dinwiddie said. “You’re obviously proud of any CU Buff, and the Heisman is the most prestigious trophy in college football, so that’s dope, too.”
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders sat courtside at a Mavs’ game last week.
“(He’s) arguably the best quarterback in college football and probably a Top five pick at worst,” Dinwiddie said. “It’s dope to see people from your college do well.”
BRIEFLY: Luka Dončić has missed exactly half (22 games) of the 44 games the Mavs have played this season, and they are 10-12 without him. Dončić will be re-evaluated on Monday . . . Guard Kyrie Irving scored his 18,000th career point during Wednesday’s game, becoming the 81st NBA to accomplish that feat. “I’m excited about that,” Irving said. ” I was about to drop a tear. Just the past few years, the games that I’ve missed, and the injuries, I feel like I should have been at 18,000 a long time ago. But again, it’s all God’s plan, so I’m not going to question it, but I’m grateful. When I heard that, I was like, ‘I’ve reached 18,000?’ That’s a lot of points in the best league in the world for a 6-1 guard like myself. I’m excited to celebrate, not only with myself selfishly, right, but with my family, because they’ve been right there with me. I just feel like I’m representing the guys who came before me. I’ve looked up to them so much, and to be peers with some of the guys I’m still playing with when I came into the league and they’re still climbing up the ladder, they’re motivating me, and I think that’s what this league is about.”
X: @DwainPrice
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