Maxi Kleber of the Mavs notched a season-high in their win over the Brooklyn Nets. An unexpected thing happened in the Dallas Mavericks locker room as the big man was surrounded by the media. In response, he asked:
Big crowd around Maxi Kleber’s locker after he scores a season 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting. “You guys know I’m not Luka, right?” Kleber asks the media.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 3, 2020
Kleber has been inserted into the starting line up by head coach Rick Carlisle in place of the injured Kristaps Porzingis. In the two games without the 7-foot-3 Latvian, Kleber's minutes bumped to 33 minutes per game. Against the Thunder, Kleber put up 14 points and 14 rebounds in 35 minutes. Against the Nets, he had 18 points, four rebounds, and three blocks across 31 minutes of action.
Apart from catching lobs from Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber also lights it up from deep. In the last two games, the 27-year-old shot a combined 7-of-13 from deep or 53.8 percent. Peep the clip below to see Kleber's offensive arsenal on display.
Maxi scored a season-high 18 points to go along with three blocks and three triples!@MaxiKleber | #MFFL pic.twitter.com/qP1uQ8cP0i
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 3, 2020
Perhaps Porzingis' absence was a blessing in disguise. The Mavs are not just all about the Unicorn and Doncic. They have a very deep line up, too. Seth Curry, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dwight Powell, Justin Jackson, and Maxi Kleber all have the ability to perform well on any given night.
The Mavs and Maxi Kleber will move on to the second game of their six-game homestand against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday. Porzingis is expected to return next week, starting with their duel with the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
As such, Maxi Kleber will likely head back to the bench.
The last two games were clear indicators that when given an opportunity, Maxi Kleber can be a very productive player.
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