Kleber’s big night well-timed in Phoenix

PHOENIX – If you were giving out a game ball on Friday, it should have gone to Maxi Kleber.

The veteran big man wouldn’t necessarily admit it, but he was kind of waiting for a game like this. He had a season-best 15 points and seven rebounds, tying his high water mark for the season.

And it could not have come at a better time.

The Mavericks already were missing Dereck Lively II, their starting center. Then forwards Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington got ejected during a third-quarter dustup with Suns’ center Jusuf Nurkic.

So the war of attrition was on.

“Maxi was incredible on both ends,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He got the steal there late, just the small things he did at a very high level.”

That…