Kyrie, Klay among 8 injured Mavs out vs. Heat

The Dallas Mavericks will be without several key players Wednesday night against the Miami Heat, including All-Star guard Luka Dončić. Dončić is missing his second straight game due to a right ankle sprain. The Mavericks are also without shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. , who is out with a left ankle sprain.

Additionally, center Willie Cauley-Stein will be out after suffering a nasal fracture in Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. In a bit of a bright spot for the Mavericks, forward Maxi Kleber is expected to see action after missing 15 games due to a strained oblique. Kleber’s return could provide a boost to the Mavs’ frontcourt, which has been depleted by injuries.

“There’s nothing you can do. It’s part of the game,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of the team’s injury woes, according to the Dallas Morning News. “You have to persevere and continue to play hard and play together. And we’ve talked about the next-man-up mentality. We gotta see what we’re made of.”

Against the Hawks, the Mavericks fielded a lineup that had never played together before, with four players 6 feet 9 inches or taller. Forward Josh Green said the team is focused on executing the game plan and finding ways to win despite the absences.

“It’s a next-man-up mentality, and we’ve been talking about that since yesterday,” Green said. “We’ve been preparing accordingly to the guys that will be out. We know Maxi is a great defender, and he’ll bring his offensive game as well. But we’re confident as a group that we can defend and do our jobs at a high level. ”