The Los Angeles Lakers were forced to pivot quickly on Sunday night after starting center DeAndre Ayton exited with an injury in the first half against the Utah Jazz. But in true “next man up” fashion, the Lakers found a spark in a pair of unexpected contributors, Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber, who helped secure a gritty 108-106 victory and push the Lakers to 12-4 on the season.
“I told him today, I was like, ‘I know you think I’m messing with you every time I talk to you,’ but he was one of the best players on the floor for us tonight.” – Austin Reaves on Maxi Kleber’s contributions after Deandre Ayton went out pic.twitter.com/0OGlqCPqD7
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 24, 2025
With Ayton unable to return, Hayes opened the second half as the fill-in starter, while Kleber, typically buried deep in the rotation and barely used this season, stepped into critical fourth-quarter minutes at the five. And he delivered in the biggest moment of the night.
Kleber finished with 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block in 14 minutes. Still, his lone bucket proved massive: a thunderous dunk with 1:21 remaining that pushed the Lakers’ lead to six, helping the team withstand Utah’s furious comeback attempt in the final minute.
“We obviously missed him. It was next-man mentality, and Maxi came in and changed the game,” guard Austin Reaves said postgame.
Reaves, who has developed a playful rivalry with Kleber in practice, smiled when asked about the reserve big man’s performance, joking that he loves to “mess with him,” but quickly emphasized how much his presence mattered.
LeBron James echoed that praise, crediting both bigs for stepping up when the Lakers needed toughness and interior presence.
“Obviously, Jaxson has been in a starting role for us before, so very easy for him to step in,” James said. “But Maxi gave us big-time minutes. Brought physicality, had a big-time move towards the end to get that dunk.”
Ayton’s status remains uncertain, and the Lakers could face more time without their starting center. But Sunday offered a reminder of the roster’s depth, and maybe an early-season turning point for Kleber, whose role has been limited since joining the team.
As the Lakers prepare to host the Clippers on Tuesday, the storyline now shifts from Ayton’s setback to the unlikely hero who may have earned himself real rotation minutes.
Sometimes, all it takes is one dunk to change everything.
