Dear Mavs diary: Maxi Kleber is the most underrated player Dallas has on the roster.

Last night, as Denver and Dallas traded blows late in the fourth quarter, it was Kleber who had Luka's back down the stretch. He hit three three-point jump shots in the fourth quarter. And the most important came with the game on the line and less than 10 seconds on the clock.

The game was decided in overtime 124-117. And Luka Doncic totaled 38 points and 13 assists. But the story of the day was Kleber's defense and timely shot-making.

Defense by metrics:

When Kleber was on the floor against the Nuggets, Dallas was a +15. He made a series of great players on the defensive end, altering shots, staying in front of his man, playing with intensity. Kleber was great last night, and it clearly inspired the entire team. He posted a ridiculous 90.7 defensive rating. And Mark Cuban cited him as the most underrated defender in the league. Kleber changed the game. And if anything, he showed just how valuable he is to this Dallas team going forward.

https://www.twitter.com/mcuban/status/1347422120133996545

Kleber's specialty on defense is his ability to serve as a great weakside helper. If his teammate gets beat, he's unselfish enough to slide over and help. At the NBA level, few forwards have a commitment to weak side help the same way Kleber does. Just look at this play in overtime when Dallas needed a stop:

Kleber is instrumental to Dallas. And from last night, it looks like he is coming into his own with Kristaps Porzingis still out. He's a pro's pro, and for Dallas, in a season that hasn't made much sense, he's exactly what this team needs.

Luka's great game:

Luka put together another great performance last night. His 38 points on 59 percent shooting from the field were every bit needed.

Doncic tweaked his ankle at some point in the game, and for a small moment, my heart sank thinking he might leave the game. But when he shrugged off the Mavericks trainer, I knew everything was all good. Still with every drive to the basket, and every difficult finish, my heart stopped. The last thing Dallas needs is another injury to a star player. Especially when that star player is a top-five player in the NBA.

In the end, Doncic was fine. He even hit a game-icing step-back jumper, something he should honestly trademark at this point. Maybe James Harden has already done that? … I digress, Luka looks good. He is starting to look like the Luka of old. (I chuckle as I write this, he's 21, not 35). And man, just writing that gives me excitement. This team beat a western conference finalist team last night. And wins over tough opponents matter, early regular season or not. Behind some semblance of Luka Magic, the Mavs are playing .500 basketball for the first time all year. Should I bring out the champagne? Maybe I'll take a drink for every assist Doncic had last night (13)?

The Mavs are in fact back, at least for now. And until proven otherwise, Kleber is a defensive maestro.

Looking ahead:

I know with regular-season wins, you can't get too high, or too low. But last night's win meant something. When push came to shove, Dallas fought back. And that is the first time I've seen this team fight back all season. That is worth celebrating.

A few journal entries ago I gave up on Doncic's pursuits at the NBA MVP, those are back on. Especially if Dallas keeps winning the way it has the past two games. Next on the schedule is the Orlando Magic. They are without the team's starting point guard Markelle Fultz due to a torn ACL. But the team is well-disciplined and well-coached. It's a game Dallas has to take seriously because in the NBA there are no off days, just games you should have won. So on to Orlando, but let's celebrate beating Denver along the way.

Feature Image via  Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports