Jason Kidd knows all too well that adjustments are necessary for continued success.
So J-Kidd wasn’t shocked when, after a halftime decision by Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle to switch to a three-guard lineup, the Mavs charged past the New York on Knicks Wednesday night.
With just a four-point edge at the break, Carlisle sent out Jason, J.J. Barea and DeShawn Stevenson along with Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler to open the third quarter. The move worked wonders as the Mavs exploded on a 26-6 run and never looked back, taking the victory over the Knicks, 113-97.
J-Kidd finished with a game-high 10 assists to go along with six points, six rebounds, a steal and a phenomenal +16 point differential. But while the offense may have been clicking, J-Kidd credited the second half defensive stops as a foundation for the victory because they allowed the Mavs to get out and run on offense.
"We got stops in the second half," Kidd said. "We contested a lot of shots. They took a shot and we rebounded it and then we just ran."
Along with the outstanding defense that his Mavs have once again started to play on their way to a six-game winning streak, Jason also noted that having Dirk Nowitzki back in the lineup is helping to open up the court and provide scoring opportunities for other players.
"When 4-1 is out on the floor, just his presence, it doesn’t matter if he’s 50% or 100%, he draws so much attention and we got guys who are shooting the ball extremely well from behind the arc and it just opens up the whole court," J-Kidd said.
Behind Nowitzki, the Mavs jumped out to an early 17-8 lead in the first quarter. J-Kidd got in on the fun with a pair of assists. He first found an open Brian Cardinal in the corner for three to make it 12-8. Moments later, Jason got his second dime when he helped to cap the run with a feed to center Tyson Chandler, who finished with a slam.
The Mavs led by as many as nine early, but the Knicks answered the Dallas run with a 22-5 burst of their own and by the end of the quarter New York had taken a 34-27 lead.
Jason re-entered the game with seven minutes remaining in the first half and immediately found Shawn Marion for a layup that knotted the score at 43. Then, in the half’s final minute, Jason started a 9-4 run with assists to Stevenson (for three) and Chandler. Dallas led 56-52 at the break.
In the third, No. 2 drained a triple with just over eight minutes left in the period to extend the Dallas advantage to 10 points, 66-56. But moments later, J-Kidd made his biggest impact of the game, on a dish to Dirk that Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas called the Play of the Game:
"Stoudemire missed a 4-foot shot and Dirk Nowitzki grabbed the rebound and quickly made the outlet pass to get the offense in transition. Jason Kidd then rewarded the big man, getting it back to the trailing Nowitzki at the top of the 3-point arc. He, predictably, splashed it for a 71-56 lead with 7:12 left in the third quarter."
On the ensuing possession, the hall-of-famer hit another three, from the left wing, nearly the identical spot as his first, to make the score 74-58. That triple started an 11-0 Dallas run, which put the game away.
After the game, Coach Carlisle told Mavs Moneyball, that he likes the direction his team, which now sports a six-game winning streak, is headed in:
"We’re gradually building momentum here. And I’m not getting too carried away because there’s a long way to go. Games are gonna get harder before they get easier, but we’re making strides. And that’s what it’s about."
NEXT UP
Jason and the Mavs try to make it seven-straight wins and a season sweep of the East-leading Boston Celtics tonight in Beantown.
In their first meeting on November 8th, the Mavs’ stifling defense held the Celtics to just 87 points. Jason pitched in 10 assists.
Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. CST and the game will be televised locally on Fox Sports Southwest and nationally on ESPN.
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