Desperate times call for desperate measures.
In a surprising move, the Los Angeles Lakers announced on Tuesday that center Maxi Kleber has been upgraded to questionable ahead of a critical Game 5 on Wednesday in Minnesota against the No. 6 seed Timberwolves.
The Lakers are facing elimination after they blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 4 to trail 3-1 in the series.
Minnesota has exploited Los Angeles’s lack of size. Kleber, who hasn’t played for the Lakers since he arrived from the Luka Dončić trade, could help them if he can play.
In their 116-113 meltdown in Game 4, Lakers coach JJ Redick played a small-ball lineup composed of LeBron James, Dorian Finney-Smith, Rui Hachimura, Dončić and Austin Reaves for the entire second half.
It was an unprecedented decision by Redick, which came under fire after the loss.
“I dont know if it smart to play LeBron and Luka the entire second half after only having one day of rest between Games 3 and 4,” Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson wrote on X. “When we needed LeBron to take over in the fourth quarter he couldn’t – he scored 0 points in the fourth.”
What Maxi Kleber Can Bring to the Table
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound Kleber can come in handy as a switchable defender.
The 33-year-old German big man averaged 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 34 games this season for the Dallas Mavericks before he broke his right foot in January.
Kleber is a 35.4% 3-point shooter in his career. But he was shooting only 25.4% from the 3-point line this season before his injury. The Lakers are hoping it’s just an aberration and not the start of his decline.
Kleber shot 34.8% from the 3-point line over the last two seasons and a career-high 41% during the 2020-21 season. His outside shot never dipped below 31.3% until this season.
Maxi Kleber Might Not Play After All
However, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times tempered expectations of Kleber saving the Lakers’ season.
“I don’t really expect the Lakers to use Kleber in an elimination game after he’s missed the past few months but good for him being in a position to be available after a serious surgery,” Woike wrote on X.
But with their season on the line, everything is now on the table for the Lakers.
“I would describe us as ‘on edge’, as we should be,” Redick said, per Mike Trudell of Spectrum. “We have to play with a sense of desperation.”
NBA Admits Blatant Missed Call in Game 4
The NBA Last 2 Minute report admitted a missed call in the closing moments.
According to the Last 2 Minute report, there should have been a foul against Minnesota forward Jaden McDaniels, who tripped Lakers star Luka Dončić with 35.5 seconds left.
“McDaniels (MIN) steps forward into Dončić’s (LAL) path, initiating illegal foot contact that causes him to lose his balance,” the L2M report said.
Had the foul been called, Dončić would have shot two free throws while the Lakers were trailing 114-113. With the referees missing the call, Dončić was forced to call one of the last two Lakers’ timeouts.
Worse, they had a turnover in the inbound play coming off that timeout, which preserved the Timberwolves’ lead.
However, there’s no time to cry over spilled milk as the Last 2 Minute report will not bring back the Lakers’ blown opportunity.
