Maxi Kleber reacts to his game-winner vs. Lakers / News - Basketnews.com

Maxi Kleber confirmed he had zero game-winners until the Lakers-Mavericks game on Friday night. He also said: "Once I let it go, I saw the ball in the air, and I was like, 'Oh, damn, it has a chance to go in.'"

Credit: Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix Credit Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

Maxi Kleber drained a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in Dallas Mavericks' stunning 111-110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Player of the Game EFF 34 Kyrie Irving Points 38 Accuracy 14-23 Rebounds 6 Assists 6

With Luka Doncic sidelined, Kleber did a remarkable imitation of the injured superstar who has repeatedly beaten the Lakers with big shots over the years.

"I think I never had a game-winner like that before," said a grinning Kleber post-game, who scored 6 of his 10 points in the final 7.2 seconds. "Obviously, it feels amazing. My entire team was hyped for me. That felt pretty special. It is 100% one of my favorite moments, I got to rewatch it now."

Maxi Kleber made the crucial three on a crosscourt pass from Kyrie Irving, who scored a game-high 38 points.

"When he passed it, I knew I had to just quick-fire it," Kleber said. "It was a pretty amazing feeling. Once I let it go, I saw the ball in the air, and I was like, 'Oh, damn, it has a chance to go in.' All of a sudden it went in, and the next thing I knew, the whole team was running at me. It was a pretty cool experience."

The German big man's teammates piled on him in celebration after he silenced the Lakers' crowd with his only 3-pointer of the night.

"Everybody was celebrating. I was just trying to like not to get hurt."

Kleber then confirmed the number of game-winners in his basketball career: "Zero."

"Obviously, we want Kyrie or Luka to take those types of shots but I had to make myself available and that's what I did," he added.

The play also was redemption for Kleber, who threw away an inbounds pass with 1.8 seconds left in regulation against San Antonio on Wednesday night.

"The San Antonio game was probably one of the worst endings. I had a very very low and I have a very very high right now. Back-to-back. The biggest thing is just to go to the next practice the same way and prepare for the next game. I cannot celebrate too much on this game," Kleber emphasized.

Lakers vs. Mavericks ending:

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