Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are trying to climb the Western Conference standings before the All-Star break. However, Jason Kidd's squad needs all of their players for that to happen. One player that needs to come back is Dereck Lively II. He will not play against the Minnesota Timberwolves but their coach remains optimistic when they clash against the Milwaukee Bucks, via Grant Afseth of Dallas Basketball.

“I think he'll get fitted for a mask. Right now, we're taking one day at a time. Hopefully, he feels better today. We'll see what that leads to for Saturday,” Jason Kidd said about the Mavericks big man.

Dereck Lively II got the injury during their game against the Orlando Magic. Wendell Carter Jr. accidentally hit him on the nose and got a Flagrant 1 foul called on him. This put an end to an insane double-double night for the Mavericks star. He only missed one out of his nine shot attempts from the field to get 20 points. Lively also grabbed 11 rebounds and a block along with a steal to round out that night.

The Mavericks have the potential to climb higher. They have the opportunity to beat out the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings to notch the fifth-best record in out West. This will need for them to get hot in the next 10 games to control their own fate. However, Luka Doncic cannot just carry their team all the time. It will need some help and getting Lively back in action will definitely be a boost. Will this get them a win over the Bucks?