DALLAS (AP) — Dallas backup center Maxi Kleber broke his right foot during a 122-107 home loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday, adding to the Mavericks’ lengthy list of unavailable players and leaving the team with one available center.
Kleber, 32, left late in the third quarter, didn’t return and will be re-evaluated next week. He has missed 12 games this season with previous injuries. He's averaging 3.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19 minutes per game.
Kleber was the lone reserve behind starting center Daniel Gafford. Dereck Lively II, who has started 25 games in the middle for the Mavericks, has been out since Jan. 15 with a right ankle stress fracture. Dwight Powell, Dallas’ primary starting center before Lively’s arrival last season, has missed the last four games with a hip injury.
Reserve forward Naji Marshall has missed the last three games with an illness.
Most prominent on the Mavericks’ injury list is superstar Luka Doncic, who has been sidelined since straining his left calf on Christmas Day. Doncic, third in last season’s MVP balloting, has missed 24 of Dallas’ 46 games this season because of multiple injuries.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
The Associated Press
