What injury does Maxi Kleber have and how long will the Mavericks player be out?

The Dallas Mavericks say Maxi Kleber will be out for at least three weeks after suffering a shoulder injury against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

How did Kleber get injured?

The German hurt himself when he landed awkwardly in the second quarter of the Mavericks’ 114-101 Game 6 win, as Dallas sealed a 4-2 victory in their NBA Playoffs first-round series against the Clippers.

The Mavericks now face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semi-finals, with Game 1 scheduled for Tuesday.

The best-of-seven series is scheduled to run until 20 May at the latest, so Kleber looks certain to miss the conference semi-finals in their entirety. The 32-year-old is also likely to sit out much of the conference finals - at least - if the Mavericks reach the next round.

What injury does Kleber have?

“An MRI revealed a right shoulder AC [acromioclavicular] joint separation for forward Maxi Kleber,” the Mavericks said in a statement today, adding: “Kleber will be re-evaluated in three weeks.”

Who could replace Kleber?

Kleber’s absence is a significant blow to Dallas, as he scored 10 of the 18 three-pointers he attempted in the first-round series against the Clippers. Kleber averaged 5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists during the six games against Los Angeles, playing an average of 19.3 minutes per game.

During the regular season, he averaged 4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists across 43 games, of which seven were as a starter. Kleber’s three-point percentage during the regular season was 34.8.

With the power-forward unavailable to Jason Kidd, it is very likely that the Mavericks head coach will give minutes to Dwight Powell, who has been limited to a diminished role since the arrival of Daniel Gafford and the emergence of Dereck Lively.

Mavericks vs Thunder: Game 1 start time, how to watch

In Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs conference semi-finals, the Mavericks are to visit the Thunder on Tuesday 7 May 2024. Tip-off at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is scheduled for 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT.

Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the game on TNT, and can stream the action on the online platform fuboTV, which offers new users a free trial.

Enjoy the Mavericks vs the Thunder live on fuboTV.

When did Mavs, Thunder last win NBA championship?

The No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, the Mavericks are chasing their second NBA title, and their first since 2011. The Thunder, who are the West’s top seed, won their only championship in 1979, before the franchise’s 2008 move to Oklahoma. At the time, they competed as the Seattle SuperSonics.