Lakers’ Maxi Kleber Returns from Injury in Season Debut Against Hawks
The Lakers’ backup big man, Maxi Kleber, made his first appearance of the season on Saturday during a 122-102 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Kleber missed the opening nine games due to an abdominal muscle strain.
Updated Status and Injury Details
The Lakers changed Kleber’s status from questionable to available about two and a half hours before the game started. Speaking after the morning shootaround, Kleber said,
“I’m gonna be ready. Just be prepared and be back out with the guys, get back in rhythm and routine.”
He explained that the injury occurred during a preseason practice while driving to the basket, calling it,
“Very unfortunate, unlucky. But we try to best to maintain conditioning and everything else. Try to come back as fast as possible.”
Game Performance
Kleber entered the game in the third quarter at the 5:59 mark, replacing the main rotation players as the Lakers trailed 90-65. In 14 minutes on the court, he contributed:
- 1 point (splitting two free throws)
- 2 blocked shots
- 2 rebounds
- 1 assist
Preseason Injury Background
Before the abdominal strain, the 33-year-old Kleber was sidelined for much of the preseason due to a minor quadriceps injury sustained during the Lakers' first training camp practice in September.
Author’s summary: Maxi Kleber returned to the Lakers’ lineup after a prolonged injury layoff, showing signs of recovery despite limited minutes in a tough road loss to the Hawks.