Dallas Mavericks' Dereck Lively II Suffers Neck Sprain in Game 3

Rookie Center Helped Off Court After Collision

Lively Injured in Second Quarter Against Minnesota

Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II suffered a neck sprain in the second quarter of Sunday's Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and did not return.

Lively was injured while vying for a rebound with Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns' knee inadvertently struck Lively in the neck and back of the head, sending him to the locker room.

The Mavericks announced that Lively will undergo further evaluation on Monday. The severity of his injury and his availability for Game 4 are not yet known.

Lively's injury is a significant blow to the Mavericks, who are already without starting center Christian Wood due to a thumb injury. The 7-foot center has averaged 8.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in the playoffs.