Dereck Lively II and the Dallas Mavericks reached the top of the NBA by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 in the Western Conference finals.

For the young big man of only 20 years old, the feat is even more important, considering the unfortunate and early passing of his mom, Kathy Drysdale, this April.

"I just wish my mama was here," said Lively after the Game 5 victory, which led the Mavericks to the series win. "This shit means the world to me. I put my body and soul on the line, and they still can't kill me. I ain't going nowhere for a while, long time."

Dallas Mavericks / Schedule

Dallas Mavericks Minnesota Timberwolves	116-107
Dallas Mavericks Minnesota Timberwolves	100-105
Minnesota Timberwolves Dallas Mavericks	103-124
Boston Celtics Dallas Mavericks	Fri 00:30

Kathy Drysdale had passed away at the age of 53 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Since her passing, Lively has often credited her for giving him the resolve to be a better player and to improve himself.

Indeed, the young big man had himself an impressive playoff run so far. He is currently averaging 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.

He also broke a record in the Western Conference finals, making all of his 16 shots against the Minnesota Timberwolves and becoming the player with the most shots without a miss in a complete series in NBA history.