The Mavericks began what might be a prolonged stretch without Maxi Kleber, and to those who don’t believe that’s a significant development, we offer a pair of rebuttals.
Wednesday night in American Airlines Center: Cleveland 105, Dallas 90.
Mavericks record this season without Kleber: 1-5.
This season has illustrated that Dallas (14-14) has other issues, but without versatile 6-foot-10 forward Kleber, who hyperextended his right knee during Tuesday’s practice, the Mavericks’ interior shortcomings magnify.
Even more so against the likes of fast-rising East contender Cleveland (18-11), which started 6-foot-11 center Jarrett Allen and 7-foot forward Evan Mobley against Mavs counterparts 6-foot-10 Dwight Powell and 6-foot-7 Dorian Finney-Smith.
With Allen and Mobley leading Cleveland’s dominance in paint scoring (52-26) and rebounding (43-33), summer acquisition guard Donovan Mitchell went wild, scoring 27 of his game-high 34 points in the first half.
“They’re a really good team, man,” said Luka Doncic, whose 30 points enabled him to break Mark Aguirre’s 38-year-old Mavericks record with his 35th straight game of 20 or more points.
“They have two seven-footers in the paint, which is tough to get into the paint. ... They have a pretty big team and a great team.”
Guess what? After hosting Portland on Friday, the Mavericks get a Cavaliers rematch the following night in Cleveland. Many fans might note Kleber’s averages of 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds and not see his full value, but the Mavericks certainly understand it.
“You look at his defense first, then his toughness,” coach Jason Kidd said. “Then his ability to stretch the floor like (Christian) Wood.”
Leading 34-30, Cleveland went on a 17-0 run, with Mitchell scoring 10 of the points. The Cavaliers led by as many as 23 points, then withstood Mavericks rallies that twice whittled the deficit to nine (74-65 and 91-82).
The summer acquisitions of Wood (20 points, seven rebounds) and JaVale McGee were supposed to fortify Dallas in the middle for nights like this, but McGee didn’t play.
To start the second half, Kidd inserted Wood to give Dallas more scoring and help spread the Cavs’ defense and Reggie Bullock to guard Mitchell. It worked, for a while, as the Mavericks scored 24 of the first 34 third-quarter points.
Wood and Kleber have been an effective combination this season, offensively and defensively, but the absence of half of the tandem showed.
“Maxi’s been big for this team for years,” Wood said. “His defensive presence could have for sure helped tonight. He helps me out tremendously on the defensive end, where I can just piggyback off of his energy.
“We can (still) build. He’ll be back soon.”
Kidd didn’t sound nearly as certain about that. He said Kleber’s injury still is being evaluated and that it’s undetermined whether his absence will be short-term or a longer one.
Cleveland double-teamed Doncic, limiting him to 11 first-half points on 4-of-14 shooting before he broke loose in the second half.
“You pick your poison,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I know different teams will do it different ways. It’s can you eliminate him, or can you eliminate his teammates?
“That’s what your objective is, is to go out and do one or the other. When he’s getting off, and his teammates are getting off, you’re gonna have a hard night.”
On this night, Doncic only went off for one half, and the short-handed Mavericks didn’t have enough firepower against Cleveland’s No. 2-ranked defense to make a serious comeback.
In a few short days the Mavericks will try the Cavaliers again, with or without Kleber.
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