There isn’t a thing that can take Jason Kidd’s focus off the task at hand when he’s on the basketball court. Not even a good ol’ fashioned reunion.

So despite facing the last team he faced and despite his teammates playing against their former coach Avery Johnson, Jason just went about his business, leading the Mavs past New Jersey 102-89.

J-Kidd, who played for the Nets for six and a half seasons and led them to consecutive NBA Finals appearances, put together a solid all-around game in which he finished with six points, eight assists, three steals and a rebound against his former team.

While No. 2 was focused on the present and getting his Mavs team their eleventh consecutive win, New Jersey fans and media reminisced about their glory years with J-Kidd at the helm. Matthew McQueeny of the New Jersey Nets Fan Blog explained:

"Under Kidd, the Nets mattered, for really the first time since Dr. J was running them in the ABA. Kidd was the stimulus to an era of unselfishness, competitiveness, defense, and dazzle. Nets fans cared about his free-throw "kiss" and were proud to be nightly on ESPN’s Top 10 plays. You never knew what Kidd would do next. Plus, continuing on the financial kick, he acted as the AAA-rated Bond that made other players – and fans – know it was safe and fruitful to invest in Nets Basketball.

"People want to play with Jason Kidd," was the common refrain."

Against the Nets’ defense, Jason proved, once again, that he is the master of commanding the offense and getting his teammates open looks. J-Kidd got the Mavs going early when, after freezing the Nets’ defense with a pump-fake pass, he found Caron Butler in the corner for a long two-point jumper.

With just over three remaining in the opening period, No. 2 grabbed the rebound off an errant Nets jumper. J-Kidd raced the ball up the court on the fast break and then made a beautiful no-look drop pass to Shawn Marion, who finished with an authoritative slam to give the Mavs the 21-14 lead.

Dallas finished the game with a season-high 31 assists. Rob Mahoney, of The Two Man Game, credited both Mavs point guards ability to expose a suspect Nets defense:

"Dallas’ 31 assists was a season high, and the ball movement was as good as the box score makes it look. J.J. Barea (six points, 13 assists) was fantastic in finding his teammates for open buckets all over the court, and he was aided by a lax New Jersey defense and some proficient shot-making. Jason Kidd added eight assists of his own, and together, Barea and Kidd successfully out-assisted the entire Nets’ squad. It’s also worth noting that I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Mavs find so many open men directly under the basket for uncontested dunks. Smart cutting, sure, but all high fives and subsequent pats on the back should be forwarded to the New Jersey Nets’ locker room."

As coach Rick Carlisle told ESPN Dallas’ Jeff Caplan, the high assists total shows the offense is clicking:

"That means that the offensive is flowing," coach Rick Carlisle said. "I love the way we passed it."

By the end of the first, the Mavs were shooting a phenomenal 72 percent from the field. Dallas built their lead up to as many as 18 points in the second and continued to shoot very well, going into the break at a torrid 65 percent from the floor.

J-Kidd capped the Mavs’ stellar first half by hitting a buzzer-beater three point shot in transition to give Dallas the 55-40 lead. Jason has hit at least one three pointer in 21 of the Mavs’ 22 games.

No. 2 drained another trey to start the third and, moments later, after first posting up on the smaller New Jersey guard, Jason dished out to Butler who got the bucket and put the Mavs ahead 62-41.

The Nets fought their way back into the game midway through the third, getting as close as 68-60 with three minutes remaining in the period. When the score tightened, J-Kidd got the Mavs’ to reassert their dominance in the paint by getting the ball down low to Brendan Haywood for easy buckets.

Going into the final quarter with an eight-point lead, coach Rick Carlisle gave Jason a rest for the quarter so he would be ready for the all-important rematch with the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Eddie Sefko, of the Dallas Morning News‘ explained Carlisle’s decision:

"It was the third time recently when Kidd has been able to sit out the fourth quarter. He plays more than his share of minutes on most nights. When he can get the fourth period off – either in a blowout or with Barea playing effectively – it can do nothing but help the Mavericks in the long run.

"If we could, we wanted to give J-Kidd a light night," Carlisle said. "J.J.’s and Jet’s play allowed us to do that."

NEXT UP
Tonight, Jason and the Mavs will matchup with fellow Western Conference powerhouse for the second time in eight days, at the AAC.

After the Mavs pulled out the victory over the Jazz in Utah, Dallas Morning News reporter Eddie Sefko expects a thrilling rematch:

"I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to Saturday night, when Utah visits the Mavericks.

If I know Jerry Sloan, and I do, by the way, I’m betting that his Jazz players are going to be in a snarly mood for that game after the way the Mavericks whacked them around in Utah last week.

This has a chance to be a really entertaining, and perhaps physical, nasty and even dirty, game."

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST and will be televised locally on Fox Sports Southwest.

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