As Jason Kidd and the Mavericks collect W after W, people are starting to see why they’re sitting on top of the Southwest division.
 Jason running the offense during Sunday night’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers (Getty Images). |
Count their opponents among those taking notice. Houston Rockets coach Rick Adelman told DallasBasketball.com that he thinks the Mavs own the Southwest.
"I think this is Dallas’ division," Adelman said. "They’ve got all the talent, they’re deep. They’re the best team in our division and they’re up there in the conference. I think this is a team that is very strong and is going to be there all year."
LeBron James told the Dallas Morning News that the All-Stars on the Mavericks are what are propelling them to the top.
"That’s why they’re one of the best teams in the West, one of the best teams in the league," James said. "They’ve got guys even without Dirk that are All-Stars on their team – Josh Howard and J-Kidd and Jason Terry, and the rest of those guys. Tim Thomas played great tonight. Guys stepped up."
J-Kidd and the Mavs proved they’re a team to be reckoned with, not just in the Southwest or even the Western Conference, but in the grand scheme of things for an NBA title. Dallas emerged with a 102-95 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday night.
No. 2 had a double-double with 11 assists and 10 points. His defense on LeBron James, with help from teammates Josh Howard and Shawn Marion, kept the King to only 25 points on 9-for-23 shooting.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle told Pegasus News about their defensive strategy.
"With the one-three, pick-and-roll, we were getting screwed up on it and we had smaller guys in the game. We were trying to show and get shaped back up. When we got (Kidd) back in along with Marion, we were able to switch it because of (Kidd’s) size, and that helps."
Teammate Shawn Marion also commented on the tag-team defense to the Dallas Morning News.
"It’s not just going to be one guy," Marion said. "On a great defensive team, each player is supposed to be able to cover his man, and half of another man’s man. That’s the way it is."
Although J-Kidd’s defense was remarkable, the story behind the win was his timely shooting and passing.
No. 2’s 18-foot jumper put the Mavs up 40-37 with six minutes remaining in the second quarter. Then with just five minutes left in the second quarter, his assist to Josh Howard put the Mavericks up 44-42. He nailed a 3-pointer with three minutes remaining in the game to give the Mavs a cushion at 93-85.
He told ESPN how with or without Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks are a contending team.
"I think we just went about it the same way as if Dirk was playing. We didn’t make a big emphasis on ‘Dirk’s out so we’ve got to get 25 points from one individual.’ We’ve got enough guys who can put the ball in the basket. We have to play defense and as a team we did that tonight."
LOSING ON A TECHNICALITY
After five plays reviewed by officials and Jason, Eric Dampier and head Coach Rick Carlisle receiving technical fouls, the Mavericks fell to the Rockets 116-108 in overtime on Friday.
Mavs leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki was injured 10 minutes into the second half when he collided with Carl Landry, suffering a deep laceration in his elbow. While Nowitzki was receiving medical attention, the Mavericks looked to J-Kidd and his playmaking skills to carry them into overtime.
J-Kidd stepped up his game with a double-double. He grabbed a season-high 11 boards, dished out 10 assists and scored eight points, just two points short of a triple double.
No. 2 put on a defensive show last night, as all 11 of his rebounds were made on defense.
Before the game, J-Kidd noted that defense has been a top priority for his team this season.
"For us, it’s been about defense all year. We can’t forget about playing defense. That’s helped us win some ugly games and it’s helped us win games where both teams were scoring and we got stops. If we’re going to try to win a championship, we have to play defense," Kidd said.
No. 2 wasn’t the only one who stepped up and played defense in Nowitzki’s absence, and he told ESPN how he feels about the depth of his team:
"It’s not a one-man team. That’s the beauty with this team is we’ve got so many guys who can put the ball in the basket and can play," Kidd said. "It’s a great opportunity for everybody to kind of pick up the slack or pick up what Dirk normally gives us and that’s 20-something points and some rebounds, so it’s an opportunity for everybody."
No. 2 and the Mavericks rallied back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter, sending the game into overtime. J-Kidd was proud of how how his team played in the fourth quarter, as he told Pegasus News:
"We were down and we were fighting," Kidd said. "We didn’t give in. We had a great look there, at the end of the fourth quarter."
He went on to say that he has faith in his team and knows they have what it takes to overcome difficult games.
"We have so many weapons—this team is deep," Kidd said. "We had our opportunities and we just couldn’t get over the hump tonight."
NEXT UP
J-Kidd and the Mavs face the Portland Trailblazers at home Tuesday night at 8:30 on KTXA.
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