Mavs Injury Update: Maxi Kleber Status Against Spurs

The Dallas Mavericks (51-30) will conclude their regular-season schedule on Sunday when they take on the San Antonio Spurs (34-47).

According to the injury report the Maverick submitted to the NBA, Maxi Kleber (right ankle soreness) has been ruled out. Marquese Chriss (illness; non-COVID) and Frank Ntilikina (illness; non-COVID) each are questionable while Tim Hardaway Jr. (left foot surgery) remains sidelined.

Before Friday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd expressed optimism about Kleber's chances of playing against the Spurs.

“He’s close,” Kidd said. “Hopefully, he can play Sunday . . . It’s up to him and how he feels. But he does feel good. Two more days will be helpful. But he’s doing great, feels great, looks great.”

With the top priority being to win a playoff series, Kleber maximizing his rest in order to be ready to contribute could help. He was struggling to convert on 3s before his string of missed games began — shooting 21.4 percent on 3s over his last 10 games. His shooting slump dropped his overall 3-point percentage down to 32.5 percent on the season.

Similar to Friday's game, the Mavericks could face another situation where both Kleber and Chriss end up being unable to play. If that ends up being the case, Dallas is likely to go with smaller lineup combinations. The option of deploying Boban Marjanovic when size is needed is also one to be considered.

There was concern about Luka Doncic potentially being suspended for Sunday's matchup after receiving a 16th technical foul — resulting in an automatic one-game suspension. The NBA announced the tech was rescinded on Saturday, though, and he will be eligible to play.

The Mavericks still have a chance to claim the third seed in the Western Conference as they trail the Golden State Warriors (52-29) by a half-game and hold the tiebreaker. It will require a win over the Spurs along with the New Orleans Pelicans defeating the Warriors on Sunday.

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