PHOENIX – If you were giving out a game ball on Friday, it should have gone to Maxi Kleber.
The veteran big man wouldn’t necessarily admit it, but he was kind of waiting for a game like this. He had a season-best 15 points and seven rebounds, tying his high water mark for the season.
And it could not have come at a better time.
The Mavericks already were missing Dereck Lively II, their starting center. Then forwards Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington got ejected during a third-quarter dustup with Suns’ center Jusuf Nurkic.
So the war of attrition was on.
“Maxi was incredible on both ends,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He got the steal there late, just the small things he did at a very high level.”
That steal came with four minutes to go and the two free throws Kleber got after the theft resulted in a 15-point Mavericks’ lead that Phoenix never sliced to less than eight.
“We have really good depth,” Kleber said. “It’s also a challenge when everybody’s healthy, obviously. But it gives us a chance in games like this to have a lot of guys who can play. We just got to focus on our roles.”
Everybody focused on the fact that Luka Dončić was out for this game, but Kleber quickly added: “And D-Live.”
So what happened after Marshall and Washington got the heave-ho?
“We came together after that and said we got to keep our composure and play the plan we had,” Kleber said. “We stuck together, played hard, made the right decisions.”
And, Kleber got involved offensively, which is not always in the cards for him.
When asked if he had been looking forward to a game like this, he said: “Yes and no. I know my main role is not on the offensive end. But obviously it’s a lot more fun if you shoot well.
“The key for me is to be more consistent on the defensive end and make the right decisions on offense, whether it’s a shot or a screen or an extra pass. Just be aggressive – but it feels good to make shots.”
Here’s our other takeaways from the win at Phoenix:
Shutting down Beal: The Mavericks had a good defensive night all around. Yes, Kevin Durant got his (35 points), but he’s Kevin Durant. The key was that none of the other Suns gouged the Mavericks for big scoring nights, including Bradley Beal, who was coming off a 27-point game against Denver. He was held to 11 by the Mavericks on 5-of-18 shooting. “He had a huge usage rate last game,” Kyrie Irving said. “I studied a lot of film on that and they run a lot of (plays) for him. Just studying their trends right now. Obviously that’s not a full, healthy Suns team, so we can only take it with a grain of salt. But in the NBA, no one feels bad (for you). It was a good, tough win.” As Spencer Dinwiddie added: “Defense, if we hold teams under 90, we have a chance to win any night, pretty much no matter who’s playing (for the Mavericks).”
Free for the taking: The Mavericks made 16-of-17 free throws. Taking advantage of the free points at the stripe is crucial for the Mavericks, who haven’t always done that this season.
Swiss Army Knife was critical: Dinwiddie, who has been everything from a starter to the 15th man this season, filled in well for Luka, even though he came off the bench rather than starting. So what changes without the superstar point guard? “Obviously for me, volume’s higher, but also instead of three-and-D you’re probably thinking about making plays, getting in the paint rather than running to the corners,” Dinwiddie said.
X: @ESefko
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