After a tough four-game road trip, the longest of the season, Jason and the Mavs are looking forward to getting home after splitting the games to go 2-2.

Continuing their trend of playing, as Jason put it, like “Jekyll and Hyde,” the Mavs let the Celtics do whatever they wanted offensively in Sunday’s 124-100 loss.

The game was close for only the first 7 minutes of the game, but then the Celtics went on a 12-0 run and never looked back. With the Celtics shooting 53.8 % percent from the field and 8-12 from downtown, the Mavs never had a chance to even mount a comeback.

J.Kidd sat out most of the 4th quarter with the rest of the starters, but when in he played a solid game. Finishing with 6 points, team-high 7 boards, 2 blocks, and 5 assists, Jason talked with the Dallas Morning News about giving up 74 points to the Celtics in the first half:

“They had wide-open looks. They had tough looks. They made them all.”

BEATING DOWN THE PISTONS
After an embarrassing showing against the Bucks, Jason and the Mavs took out their frustration on the Pistons in a 112-91 dismantling.

J.Kidd talked about the determination the Mavs had to play defense going into the game with the Mercury News:

“The last time we were out on the floor, we gave up 133 points, so I don’t think Coach was going to need to say much to make us understand that we needed to come out hard. After Milwaukee, tonight was about pride.”

The Mavs dominated the Bucks offensively and defensively Friday night. Shooting 54.9% from the floor while forcing the Bucks into 14 turnovers, 13 of which were in the first half, the Mavs showed just how good they could be.

No. 2 toyed with the Pistons backcourt of Iverson and Stuckey all day, as he forced Stuckey into five turnovers with his smothering defense. Jason finished with a double-double of 11 points 10 boards, and also led the Mavs in +/- with +21.

Coach Carlisle talked with ESPN.com about how J.Kidd’s play was the key to the Mavs strong performance:

“I thought he really set the tone. His playmaking was huge and we’re using him in a lot more playmaking situations.”

STYLE POINTS
During the rout, Jason had a reverse layup that spurred images of Dr. J for the fans present and some assists that were vintage J.Kidd.

Dallas Basketball.com described his snazzy play best:

“Kidd even earns style points here: That transition assist on a J-Ho layup was another one of those patented “8-ball-in-theside-pocket’’ English shots, and it came at just the right time, in the final seconds of the first half. And the hovering high-arching bankshot back-to-the-basket reverse layup in the fourth was a keeper because it was both pretty and because. … well, because Jason Kidd made a layup.”

Kidd, as reported by DallasBasketball.com, was just as amused as the rest of the stadium that his reverse layup managed to go in:

“I make the hard ones and miss the easy ones. Did I jump as high as Doctor J?”

NOT READY TO QUIT
Jason, who is about to turn 36 in March, Real GM Basketball about how he is no where near ready to hang up his sneakers:

“I feel sore sometimes in the morning, but that happens at any age. I feel I can still compete. I feel good mentally and physically, I still feel I can play at a high level.”

“I would like to play maybe until I’m 40. I feel great, but we’ll see how that goes. But I would stop at 40. No smalls, no little guys have played until 40, so that would be a great accomplishment.”

NEXT UP
After a long and arduous road trip, the Mavs get a well deserved break as they don’t play again until Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors at 7 pm.

RELATED STORIES
Mavericks 100, Celtics 124 (ESPN.com, Jan. 25th, 2009)
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290125002
Mavericks 112, Pistons 91 (ESPN.com, Jan. 23rd, 2009)
http://espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290123008
Dallas Mavericks routed in Boston, 124-100 (Dallas Morning News, Jan. 25th, 2009)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/012609dnspomavslede.2516e4a.html
Around the NBA: Mavs reply to rout with one of their own (Mercury News, Jan. 23rd, 2009)
http://www.mercurynews.com/warriors/ci_11543175
Mavs bounce back from bad outing, pound Pistons in Detroit (ESPN.com, Jan. 23rd, 2009)
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290123008&campaign=rsssrch&source=jason+kidd
Mavs 121, Detroit 91: Donut-By-Donut Analysis (Dallas Basketball.com, Jan. 24th, 2009)
http://www.dallasbasketball.com/fullColumn.php?id=1265
Kidd: “I would like to play until I’m 40” (Real GM Basketball, Jan. 25th, 2009)
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/56814/20090125/kidd_i_would_like_to_play_until_im_40/