After losing Deandre Ayton at halftime, the Lakers needed someone to step up in the second half of Sunday’s game against the Jazz. Few people likely expected Maxi Kleber to be that player.
After not playing in the first half, Kleber provided big minutes on both ends of the court in the second half, leading to him closing the game to help LA secure the win.
While it’s his offense that typically draws the focus, Kleber’s defense was just as apparent, if not more, against Utah.
“Maxi coming in in that
second half really changed the game for us with his physicality,” head coach JJ Redick said. “[He] made some plays at the rim, had the big bucket late. He was great. Gabe was great as well. Those two guys playing in that extended run, that’s really where our defense was solidified.
“[The Jazz] scored 17 points in the four-and-a-half, five minutes of the third quarter and then up until the last flurry, I think they had 22 points for the rest of that half. It was stuck at 94 [points] there. I thought it was our defense that won us the game.”
Prior to the final surge from the Jazz in the closing minute, the Lakers had silenced the hosts for most of the quarter. Through the first nine minutes of the fourth, the Jazz had just 13 points as the purple and gold really locked things down.
While Kleber didn’t play all of those minutes, he was a big part of the team’s defensive performance across the whole half, as Redick noted.
On the other end of the floor, Kleber only scored once but it was an important bucket. With Utah rallying in the final 90 seconds and the Lakers up just four points, Kleber attacked a poor closeout from Jusuf Nurkic for an important dunk.
“He was one of the best players on the floor for us tonight,” Austin Reaves said. “Just energy, effort, the way he plays, the plays he made, it’s not easy to do – sit in the whole first half and then coming out there and doing what he did – so you tip your hat to guys like that. You want to see them succeed.”
Kleber’s biggest play of the night, though, came in the final seconds. With the Lakers up by two, Kleber switched off Nurkic on the final play and contested Keyonte George’s game-winning 3-point attempt, forcing him to double clutch and miss the shot.
Officially, it doesn’t go down as a stat in the box score, but those were the type of big plays he made throughout the night.
“He was one of the guys who got us going, especially defensively with his effort and energy,” Luka Dončić said. “He does all the little things that don’t show up in statistics and we needed every one of them. I think he played amazing today.”
Fans haven’t gotten much of a look at Kleber throughout his time in LA due to injury and being out of the rotation. But with Ayton set to miss Tuesday’s game against the Clippers, they’ll likely see Kleber for a second game in a row.
While he almost surely won’t light up the box score, Sunday was a great example of his ability and willingness to do all the little things that you’d expect from a veteran. And if he continues to do that, he will prove his value and, hopefully, help the Lakers keep winning games.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on BlueSky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
