Jason Kidd and the Mavericks kept the crowd on the edge of their seats in the American Airlines Center Saturday night with a 98-97 overtime win against the Charlotte Bobcats.
As a seasoned veteran, J-Kidd is plenty used to close games and knows how to keep his cool. He told the Pegasus News all about how is experience aids him:
"I think we’re used to playing close ball games. Nobody is going to panic. We’re a veteran ball club, and we know what’s at stake in the sense that when we need a stop, we kind of lock in. If we need a basket, we know our options and we know what works for us, so that definitely helps."
No. 2 swiped the ball from the Bobcats six times in the 98-97 win. He dished out nine assists and scored five points. Jason also closed the second half with a huge 3-pointer and a defensive steal.
J-Kidd’s defense late in the game limited Stephen Jackson, one of the Charlotte’s leading scorers, to knock down just two of his last seven shots. J-Kidd also credited his defensive performance to his experience in the NBA.
"I’ve been in the league for some time, so I know a lot of the guys’ tendencies. I try to take away their strength, their No. 1 move, and hopefully they come up with a miss or a turnover."
He went on to say that his knowledge of the game sometimes proves to be more useful than "young legs."
"In age, you have to use (veteran knowledge) to your advantage. Knowledge is sometimes a little bit better than being quicker than your opponent. Just knowing tendencies and habits is something I’m living off of right now."
RELATED STORIES
Mavs 98, Cats 97: Three wins and a cloud of dust (DallasBasketball.com, Dec. 14, 2009)
http://www.dallasbasketball.com/fullColumn.php?id=2338
Game preview: New Orleans Hornets (13-10) at Dallas Mavericks (17-7) (PegasusNews.com, Dec. 14, 2009)
http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2009/dec/14/game-preview-new-orleans-hornets-13-10-dallas-mave/
Bobcats at Mavericks Boxscore (NBA.com, Dec. 14, 2009)
http://www.nba.com/games/20091212/CHADAL/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore