After a four-game absence in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, Dallas Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd returned on Saturday and guided the Mavs to their second consecutive win.
Dallas has now won eight of its last nine games, and managed to thrive despite Kidd’s absence, posting a strong 3-1 mark thanks in part to the guidance of assistant coach Sean Sweeney, who served as acting head coach.
“He’s next in line to be a head coach in this league,” Jason said of the job Sweeney is doing and Dallas and how the assistant performed in his absence. “He’s doing all the right things.”
Kidd’s first game back coincided with the return of forward Kristaps Porzingis, who missed seven games in the health and safety protocols, and neither looked worse for wear in the 108-92 win over the Orlando Magic. Porzingis finished with 19 points and seven rebounds on 50 percent shooting and set the tone early on both ends of the ball.
“I thought he was great,” Kidd said. “He got to the free-throw line. Defensively, he changed shots, I thought he was great for his first game back.”
The Mavericks ran the game’s first play for the 7’3″ forward. An entry pass found Porzingis open on the right block, and a soft, fadeaway shot got KP and the Mavericks going.
“It was a crayon play,’ Kidd said, laughing. “We just drew it up [and] see what would happen. It was designed to get to KP right off the bat, get his feet wet, get him comfortable, and he delivered.”
Two minutes later, the Mavs executed a set pick-and-roll play for Porzingis, who finished the alley-oop from guard Jalen Brunson. A quick 18-7 run jumpstarted the game for Dallas, and the Magic never recovered after spotting the Mavs the early first-quarter lead. Dallas has missed Porzingis’ production as of late. His 19 points gave the Mavericks four total players in double-digits, with their superstar Luka Doncic leading the way as usual with 23 points and nine rebounds.
The Dallas bench also provided some key offense, scoring a total of 42 points. Forward Tim Hardaway Jr. led the bench scoring with 17 points, and was 3-for-9 from three. After starting the first 19 games of the season, Hardaway has shifted to a reserve role and has been thriving there since his own return from the health and safety protocols on January 2. Over Dallas’ last 10 games, Hardaway has eight double-digit scoring outings.
“We’re putting guys in different positions to see how they respond, and they did a great job tonight,” Kidd said.