Luka Doncic poked the ball away from Victor Wembanyama to initiate a fast break, triggering Dereck Lively II to sprint down the court.
Jaden Hardy pushed the pace in transition and when Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes closed in, the third-year guard found Lively, who had a clear lane to throw down one of his many dunks from the night — as he was fouled by Barnes. Both Lively and Hardy erupted with passionate screams toward the fans sitting courtside at American Airlines Center.
It was one of several highlights from a lively night in Victory Park as the Mavericks dominated the Spurs, 120-109, in Thursday’s season opener.
Lively dazzled for his second consecutive season opener and finished with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds with a career-tying six assists. His stat line marked his first career game with at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. After a season’s worth of experience that culminated in his first Finals appearance, Lively’s expectations for his second season are simple.
“Growth,” Lively said. “You know, on the free-throw line, in the paint, on the defensive end — just being a better player. I feel like I saw almost everything last year, so now it’s just taking everything that I’ve learned, all the things I’ve been through, all the times I’ve failed and just try to get better.”
Jason Kidd knew exactly who would start at center for his Mavericks going into Thursday’s game, but he wouldn’t disclose his secret until the official starting lineups were released.
“He’ll be out there tonight,” said the Mavericks coach during his pre-game press conference.
Daniel Gafford, who spent most of his practice reps with the first unit leading up to the game, received the job and started at center for the Mavericks. His first task of the year was to limit Wembanyama as much as possible, while also maintaining an interior presence on the offensive end. The sixth-year big man proved to be a viable option, finishing with nine points and six rebounds. His physicality on defense made Wembanyama uncomfortable, but his night was limited to 18.5 minutes due to foul trouble.
Kidd didn’t have to look far for the next-best option.
Lively, who doesn’t turn 21 until February, joined Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. as the only players in franchise history to record at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists at age 20 or younger. His performance was reminiscent of last season’s season-opening win in San Antonio, when Lively had 16 points and 10 boards off the bench. The outburst led to him being the full-time starter until mid-February, when the Mavericks acquired Gafford and P.J. Washington at the trade deadline.
The Mavericks improved to 7-2 when Lively records a double-double.
Kidd attributed his reason of starting Gafford to Dallas’ late-season surge of finishing with a record of 16-3 ahead of the final regular season game in 2023-24. He also mentioned Gafford and Lively’s consistent production in their respective groups in practice in the week. Gafford had several moments throughout the game that helped Dallas gain momentum, including a play when he ran the floor and tip-slammed his own miss. He also had active hands with a steal and a block.
Together, the Mavericks’ duo of big men helped limit Wembanyama to 17 points on 5-of-18 shooting. While Gafford is the current starter, Kidd said the team will have an opportunity to start Lively later in the season.
“I love that they push each other in practice,” Kidd said. “They make each other better and they cheer for each one another when we take the floor as the Mavs. It’s an opportunity to start Gaf here and we’ll look somewhere down the road to start D-Live.”
Lively’s facilitating was also on full display. His six assists makes him the only center in team history to record multiple games with six assists (six assists against the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 1, 2023). There were several opportunities for Lively to show his playmaking because he received several passes inside the paint, which led him to make a decision to make a play for himself or one of his teammates.
“What I love about D-Live coming off the bench is his energy, and that’s something that’s contagious,” Kidd said. “When you look at a team, there’s gonna be nights when we might be low on energy but D-Live, we plug into him ... He has a big responsibility with that second group.”
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