The Dallas Mavericks earned a huge win over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday afternoon. In addition to having six players score in double figures while also dominating the glass, Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle cited power forward Maxi Kleber as being instrumental on the defensive end in making things tough for Pascal Siakam.

The Mavs kept the Raptors star in check who had gotten off to a flying start through the first 11 games, but Siakam scored just 15 points on 6-of-24 shooting against Dallas.  (via Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News):

“He (Kleber) was great for us,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “Maxi’s versatility on defense is a big, big factor for us.”

Kleber’s previous season high for minutes was 33:21, in the season’s second game, at New Orleans.

“That’s why I just (spent) 10 minutes in the ice bath,” Kleber said after the game.

Kleber played over 38 minutes, contesting Siakam's drives to the rim and forcing him to try to beat the Mavericks as a jump shooter. Siakam was just 2-of-10 from beyond the arc.

The 27-year-old from Germany has seen a significant increase in minutes from last season, and he has been an instrumental part of Carlisle's rotation in the frontcourt.

Dallas improved to 7-5 with the win, overcoming a poor shooting performance by Luka Doncic to earn a big win over an Eastern Conference contender.

The Mavericks are in the bottom-half of the league in terms of defensive rating, but Kleber's ability to defend in the frontcourt could prove vital alongside a legitimate shot blocker like Kristaps Porzingis.

Kleber certainly did his part on Saturday night.