The Celtics got the best of a shorthanded Mavericks squad on Saturday night in a 122-107 victory but that wasn’t the biggest loss for Dallas on the night. The team announced postgame that key reserve Maxi Kleber suffered a broken right foot in the game, depleting the frontcourt even more for the defending Western Conference champions.
Kleber’s injury occurred in the third quarter while defending a Jaylen Brown shot attempt. He fell to the ground on the play and immediately started limping while attempt to defend Derrick White on the ensuing rebound. Kleber tried to avoid putting pressure on his right foot immediately and was subbed out of the game.
The Mavericks were already playing without starting center Dereck Lively due to a stress fracture in his right ankle that will keep him sidelined for at least a month. Kleber had just returned from an oblique issue and was already facing a minutes restriction. Instead, he will likely be out of action for multiple months, although the team announced he will be reevaluated later this week.
Without Kleber and Lively available for the foreseeable future, the Mavericks will be heavily reliant on center Daniel Gafford and 10-year veteran Dwight Powell, who has played sparingly this year. Dallas could elect to be active on the big man market ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline as well but the team has limited healthy assets to move.
Kleber is currently making $11 million so any trade value he has took a serious hit with the injury. He was averaging 19 minutes per game, posting 3.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. The Mavericks dropped to the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference after falling to 24-22 on the year in their loss to the Celtics. They are currently already playing without MVP candidate Luka Doncic until the All-Star Break due to a calf injury.
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