Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber struggled as Germany suffered a massive upset at the hands of the Dominican Republic on Sept. 3.

Dallas Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber continued his 2019 FIBA World Cup journey on Tuesday. His German National Team was facing a must-win game against the Dominican Republic.

Kleber and Boban Marjanovic are the only two current Mavericks taking part in the competition. Marjanovic is one of the center options for Serbia.

Let us take a closer look at the Group G game between Germany and the Dominican Republic plus how Maxi Kleber performed.

Germany and Kleber struggle

The Germans got off to a slow start for the second straight game. They trailed 8-0 just two minutes into the game. Germany quickly righted the ship to led 21-16 at the end of the first quarter.

The Dominican Republic continued to battle, though. They cut the Germans led to two at the half (39-37). A third-quarter buzzer-beater put the Dominican Republic ahead by three at the end of the third period.

It was anyone’s game late in the fourth quarter, and the Dominican Republic snatched it. They went on to win 70-68 on Sept. 3. Germany was eliminated from advancing to the knockout stage with the loss. The Dominican Republic played better team basketball despite not having the individual talent of Germany.

Maxi Kleber struggled to get anything going on Tuesday. He played 14.8 minutes but failed to take a field goal attempt. Kleber did have one rebound, one assist, and two blocks, though. He surprisingly sat down the stretch in a tight game.

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Up Next

Germany wraps up their World Cup against Jordan on Sept. 5. That game begins at 3:30 a.m. local time in Dallas. Mavericks fans can watch it on ESPN+. The Germans will be significant favorites on Thursday.

They need Maxi Kleber to make more of an impact if they are going pick up a victory, though. He along with Dennis Schroder and Daniel Theis should be the team’s three best players. The Germans need to find a few more touches for Kleber on Thursday.

The Smoking Cuban will be back with the news from Maxi Kleber’s World Cup performances plus analysis on the Dallas Mavericks as they prepare for the upcoming season, so please check back with us often.