Dereck Lively II is having a very productive rookie season

He may only be a rookie, but center Dereck Lively II has already proven that he’s the real deal. His performance in Wednesday’s 114-105 victory over the Chicago Bulls was yet another prime example.

Lively scored just seven points during the game that ran the Mavs’ record to 4-0. But he also grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds, picked up a team-high tying two steals, distributed six assists, and snatched a game-best seven offensive rebounds.

The assist total by Lively marks just the second time in Mavs’ history that a rookie center collected at least six assists in a game. The only other time that’s occurred in franchise history was by Sean Rooks during the 1992-93 season.

Coach Jason Kidd showered Lively with compliments after the Mavs posted a perfect 4-0 record for the first time since the 2004-05 season.

“He wants to do the right thing,” Kidd said. “He wants to learn. He wants to help his team win.

“It’s not running a play for him. It’s about doing the little things.”

And those “little things” can often turn into big things. For example, when Lively chased down an offensive rebound, miraculously saved it from going out of bounds, then fired it to Tim Hardaway Jr. on the perimeter, that took some steam out of the Bulls.

Why? Because Hardaway tossed in a three-pointer on the play, was fouled by Alex Caruso, then fired in the free throw to complete a pivotal four-point play which put the Mavs ahead, 94-92, with 7:11 remaining in the game.

“My job is to clean up the dirty work, and that’s what it is,” Lively said. “I see the loose ball. I see it flying out of bounds, and if I can get to it, I’m going to do my best to try to get it back into play.

“It’s fortunate for Timmy to be in the right place at the right time, so I was able to get him the ball and he hit the shot.”

Since Lively is not advertised as a big-time scorer, sometimes fans may view what he does as a thank-less job. But his teammates and coaches know better.

“He understands Luka (Dončić) and (Kyrie Irving) and his teammates are going to find him on the (pick and) roll,” Kidd said. “Again, his IQ is high.

“I think the other thing is, what I like — what we all like — is he can run the whole quarter. He went the whole fourth (quarter) with the timeouts we used.”

Here are the three takeaways from the nine-point win over the Bulls.

WILLIAMS SHINES FROM DOWNTOWN: With the green light to fire away, Grant Williams fired away Wednesday and wound up converting 7-of-9 shots from beyond the three-point arc and finishing the night with a game-high 25 points. The seven three-pointers ties for the most Williams has ever made in a game. Also, the 25 points he poured in equals the most points Williams as ever scored in an NBA game. He also scored 25 points last season during a Jan. 23 contest against Toronto when he was playing for the Boston Celtics.

HARDAWAY WAS INSTANT OFFENSE: With the ball flying off his hands and finding its intended destination almost all the time, Tim Hardaway Jr. came off the bench and tallied 24 points on 8-of-15 shots. That includes firing in seven three-pointers in 13 attempts in just 27 minutes. The points Hardaway scored were more than any player on the Bulls’ scored. Hardaway has scored 17 or more points off the bench in all four games this season, the longest such streak in his career.

DONCIC STILL HAD A MAJOR IMPACT: Although he didn’t have one of those monster scoring games fans have been accustomed to, Luka Doncic still had a major impact on this game. Doncic finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, a game-high 10 assists, and a game-high tying two steals. But with all the double- and triple-team attention that he draws, it affords him the chance to find other open teammates. That happened late in the game when Doncic found Josh Green wide open in the corner for a three-pointer which pushed the Mavs’ lead to 109-100.

X: @DwainPrice