Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks entered their Western Conference Semifinal series with the Los Angeles Lakers last week faced with a daunting challenge. In order to advance, they had to become the first team in three years to knock off the two-time defending champions four times in a postseason series.

Just one week later, the Mavs had completed that challenge with relative ease, sweeping the Lakers out of the playoffs to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Here’s how it happened.


J-KIdd and the Mavericks dethroned Kobe and the Lakers in a four-game sweep (Getty Images).

GAME 1: MAVERICKS 96, LAKERS 94
Jason’s Late D Stifles Kobe in Mavs Win

Jason’s line: 11 assists, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block

Dallas entered the Staples Center last Monday night looking to steal one of the series’ first two games and seize home court advantage. When they fell behind by 16 early in the third, that goal seemed as though it might have to wait. But the Mavs fought back:

"The Mavs were far from perfect, but still clawed their way back from a 16-point deficit to steal a game one victory on the Lakers’ home court, 96-94. After the game, Jason was the first to say that the Mavs’ execution was less than perfect and not even their best. But a win is a win. Now they need just three more.

"We can say that we didn’t play our best game, but we found a way to win. That’s the bottom line this time of year," J-Kidd said. "You want to be the first team to four, and we found a way to win Game 1. But again, the Lakers have been in this position a lot of times and they’ve found a way to win the series. So, we haven’t done anything yet."

Of particular note was Jason’s defense on Kobe Bryant in the final minutes of the game. In crunch time, the ball was meant for Kobe, but Jason had him covered:

Bryant poured in a game-high 36 points over the first 47 minutes of the game. But when No.2 took over defending duties in the final minute, the Lakers star was stifled. On three consecutive possessions, J-Kidd played the role of stopper for the Mavericks. It was a challenge he had asked for.

"All I know is I said, ‘I’ll guard him’ and I wanted to make it tough," he said. "I’m a competitor. And maybe being old, too, maybe I’m hard-headed and naïve enough to think I can slow him down."

With the 96-94 victory, the Mavericks took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and, regardless of the outcome of Wednesday’s Game 2 in LA, would go back to Dallas with home court in their favor.

GAME 2: MAVERICKS 93, LAKERS 81
J-Kidd Has Mavs in Complete Control

Jason’s line: 10 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal.

It took a dominant display of defense, but the Mavericks took firm control of the series in Game 2. By holding the Lakers to just 81 points, the Mavs completely threw LA off its game:

"After the game, J-Kidd explained the difference between this year’s Mavs club and those before it.

"The only thing that may be different throughout the season is that we’re playing defense."

Defense indeed. Through eight games, Dallas has yet to allow an opponent to score 100 points this postseason. On Wednesday night, the Mavs held the Lakers to just 2-of-20 from beyond the arc. They racked up four steals and four blocks, forcing a total of 10 turnovers."

After losing a 20-point lead in a Game 4 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, the Mavericks bounced back with two straight wins and, in the process, found out a lot about themselves.

They drew off that experience to come from behind themselves in Game 1 and used it again in Game 2:

Jason said the key to the Game 2 win was the Mavericks staying within themselves on both sides of the ball. They didn’t press or force anything, rather, they exerted their will on the Lakers and got LA to fold.

"We kept our composure, our patience and playing defense is going to win games at this time of the year," Kidd said. "Right now, that’s been our focal point. There for a stretch it was 68-62

[Mavs] and we couldn’t make a shot. But, defensively, we held serve in the sense of they couldn’t score. Once we got off 68, we started to score and continued to play defense."

According to J-Kidd, the Mavs learned a valuable lesson about their defense in Game 4 of their first round playoff series with the Portland Trail Blazers.

"In Game 4, we let one guy beat us. We play team defense. That’s our strength," No. 2 told TNT after Wednesday’s Game 2 win. "We’re not a team that can just guard one-on-one. We’re a little bit older, so we rely on each other to help out. That was a great learning experience for the whole team to understand that we can’t just let one guy guard, we have to help as a team."

With a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series heading home, the Mavericks were calm and confident, but they never lost focus on the task at hand.

GAME 3: MAVERICKS 98, LAKERS 92
Mavs Reach the Brink with Game 3 Win

Jason’s line: 11 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 block.

For the second time in the series, the Mavericks fell behind into the late stages of the game and they faced a six-point deficit with five minutes to go. But Jason’s goal has been for the Mavs to put themselves in a position to win games in the final six minutes. They had that opportunity in Game 3 and took full advantage, closing the way championship teams do:

"That’s a big win," Jason said after the victory. "We were down pretty much the whole game…But we stayed the course. We got stops down the stretch. We played great team defense and then stepped up and made shots."

Keying those stops down the stretch was J-Kidd, who took on the challenge of guarding Kobe Bryant again down in the final minutes. The results were strong.

Despite taking four shots down the stretch, Bryant went without a point for the final 4:33 of Game 3, as the Mavericks went on a 17-5 run to victory. Jason stuffed one Bryant shot and forced the Lakers star into a turnover on another trip."

The Mavericks shot the lights out down the stretch with J-Kidd, Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic all coming up with big shots.

Four of J-Kidd’s nine feeds went to Dirk Nowitzki, who led all scorers with his best game of a great series, scoring 32 points on 12-of-19 from the field.

"Dirk was huge," Jason said. "Even if he didn’t score the ball, he found the open guys."

Among them, Jason Terry and Peja Stojakovic, who combined for 38 points off the bench. The Lakers reserves countered with just 15 points as a unit. Stojakovic helped draw the Mavs close midway through the fourth when he sandwiched a pair of threes around a trey from Nowitzki to pull the Mavs within three at 87-84 with 3:49 remaining.

"All I remember is [Peja] making that big 3 in the right-hand corner and then coming back with that one dribble and making a big jump shot," said J-Kidd, who dished the assist on the first of Peja’s two fourth quarter treys. "That’s what shooters do and he’s one of the best."

Nowitzki and Terry took control in the final minutes, each hitting a big jumper and some free throws to seal the deal. With a 3-0 lead in hand, the Mavs had a valuable chance to close with Game 4 in Dallas and gain some well deserved rest. It was a chance they weren’t about to let slip away.

GAME 4: MAVERICKS 122, LAKERS 86
Finally on the Other End of a Sweep

Jason’s line: 7 assists, 4 steals, 3 points, 2 rebounds

With their most dominant performance of the postseason, the Mavs left little doubt who the best team was in this Western Conference Semifinal. It was a sweet feeling, especially for J-Kidd, who gained a measure of redemption against the Lakers.

"Back in 2002, as a member of the New Jersey Nets, Jason Kidd felt what it was like to be swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in a playoff series.

Now, nearly 10 years later, Jason and the Dallas Mavericks have returned the favor.

On Sunday afternoon, the veteran point guard helped the Mavericks steamroll the defending champs, 122-86. J-Kidd picked off four steals and handed out seven assists while scoring three points and grabbing two rebounds.

"I’ve been on the other end of a lot of losses against the Lakers and Phil [Jackson]," Jason said. "So, it’s good to get a win. It doesn’t matter if you get to sweep the series or not, just to win the series and move on. This is a two-time defending champions that we beat and we have to use that experience and we can’t have a let down."

Jason’s defense on Kobe Bryant, a running theme for the series, again played a pivotal role in the series-clinching win. For the first time since 1999, Bryant had his team get swept.

In the final game of the series, the Mavs, with J-Kidd guarding Kobe for long stretches of the game, held Bryant to just 17 points on 7-18 shooting in 37 minutes. What’s more, Bryant went 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.

"It was a team effort,” No. 2 said. "We threw a lot of bodies at him and forced him to take tough shots. We saw when he came out aggressive we knew the ball was going to be in his hands and it was going to be a fight. That is the kind of player he is. He never gives up. We tried to make it as tough as a possible.”

Jason said throughout the series that his goal was simply to not let Bryant beat the Mavericks on his own.

"You try to stay in front of him. I mean, he has all the moves, all the ability to get to the basket and can shoot the jumper, so you’re giving up something. We’re just trying to make it tough on him and try to keep a body on him when he does shoot the ball."

But Jason’s teammates glowed in their reviews of his work on the Lakers’ leading scorer.

"Kidd is a crafty Hall of Famer," said DeShawn Stevenson, who started each game on Bryant during the series. "For him to be on Kobe during some big stretches and play him the way he’s played, it just shows you about his heart and where his mind is at."

Less than a week after taking on one of the most daunting challenges in franchise history, the Mavs were moving on to the next round. With the series sweep, the Mavericks set themselves up for at least a week off from game action as they wait for the conclusion of the other semifinal series between Oklahoma City and Memphis. Jason relished the time to regroup and recuperate.

"If I was young I would say yes, we need to keep playing," Kidd said. "But, I’m a little older now. The big thing is rest, regroup and understand that we get to watch who we’re going to play next, do a lot of studying and make sure that we’re prepared."

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