"We don't win this series without D-Live" - Luka Doncic praised rookie center for scintillating performance as Dallas advance

Luka Doncic has nothing but praise for Dereck Lively II after the Dallas Mavericks advanced to the Western Conference finals. The Mavericks eliminated the OKC Thunder after a come-from-behind win in Game 6 inside the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Doncic led the way for the Mavericks in their 17-point comeback win with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Kyrie Irving had a rough first half before turning it up in the second, finishing with 22 points, three rebounds and four assists.

Dereck Lively II came off the bench to contribute 12 points and 15 rebounds, which was a crucial part of the Mavs' 117-116 win. This is what Doncic said about Lively after the game while speaking to ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth:

"Yeah, we don't win this series without D-Live. He's been playing amazing. A rookie, not being scared, it's insane how he play, how he impacts the game, so just amazing, man." [1:05 - 1:17]

The game started slow for the Dallas Mavericks, with Luka Doncic committing a bunch of turnovers in the second quarter.

The Mavericks went down by as much as 17 points before mounting a comeback in the third quarter. The OKC Thunder were still leading at the start of the fourth period before the Mavs made it a close game with around five minutes left.

Doncic and Kyrie Irving ensured that the Mavs were back in the game, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did all he could to stave off the comeback. SGA finished with 36 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, but it was not enough to prevent the Thunder's elimination.

Luka Doncic made the right plays late in the game, giving up the ball to PJ Washington to give the Mavs a 113-110 lead. Derrick Jones Jr. recovered a blocked shot to beat the buzzer to give Dallas a five-point advantage.

SGA trimmed the lead to two points quickly before an ill-advised Washington foul put the MVP runner-up to the free throw line. He sunk the bonus free throw before Chet Holmgren gave the Thunder a 116-115 lead.

However, Washington was fouled by SGA with less than three seconds left. The Mavs forward went 2-for-3 from the line to give the Mavs the 117-116 victory.

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What's next for Luka Doncic and the Mavericks?

Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks are waiting for the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves series, but they will be on the road for Games 1 and 2 either way. The Mavericks are the fifth seed, so they don't have homecourt advantage.

The Mavs didn't dominate their season series against both teams. They are 1-3 against the Timberwolves and 1-2 against the Nuggets. They had a memorable win over the defending champions courtesy of a Kyrie Irving game-winner.