Why is Maxi Kleber not playing tonight against OKC Thunder? Looking at Mavericks forward's status for Game 2 (May 9)

The Dallas Mavericks have listed Maxi Kleber as out for the marquee Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the OKC Thunder on Thursday. Kleber will be out for a minimum of three weeks.

He had a right shoulder AC joint separation. The team announced on Sunday that an MRI scan disclosed the extent of the injury.

Maxi Kleber sustained the injury early in the second quarter of the Mavericks' 114-101 victory over the LA Clippers on Friday in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round series. He was fouled by Amir Coffey while driving to the basket and landing awkwardly.

Before leaving the game, Maxi Kleber scored four points, including making one of two free throws right after the incident. In Game 5, he scored 15 points, hitting five 3-pointers, and averaging 5.7 points throughout the series.

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Dallas Mavericks will lack depth and shooting as Maxi Kleber remains sidelined

Dallas performed well in their first-round series against the LA Clippers, but they couldn’t maintain the momentum in the first game of their second-round matchup with Oklahoma City.

The Mavericks lost decisively in game one, not covering the spread as a 3.5-point road underdog. The combined score of 212 points fell easily below the pregame total of 217.5 points.

Despite their success, injuries remain a problem for the team. Luka Doncic is the most prominent player affected, consistently listed as probable.

Dallas capped off the regular season with one of the league's top 3-point shooting streaks. However, in game one, their 3-point shooting dropped to just 34.0%, something they need to improve to win game two on the road.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who excelled against the Clippers in the first round, must regain their form against an Oklahoma City backcourt that falters defensively at times.

The frontcourt also poses a significant concern for Dallas, but rediscovering their shooting prowess could be key to levelling the series against the OKC Thunder.

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How to watch Dallas Mavericks vs OKC Thunder?

The marquee Game 2 clash between the Dallas Mavericks and the OKC Thunder will be nationally televised on ESPN, including NBA League Pass and Fubo TV as live streaming options, giving viewers access to NBA TV for a week's long free trial which can be purchased as a subscription.

The game will tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.