Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd addressed key issues after Thursday’s 123-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at American Airlines Center. The defeat dropped Dallas to 12-23, extending a difficult stretch for the rebuilding roster.
“I thought the turnovers in the second and us not shooting the ball straight, they took advantage of that,” Kidd said. “We got looks, but we just didn’t capitalize in the paint.”
Kidd praised Jaden Hardy’s contributions off the bench. “Hardy gave us a spark. He came in and took some great looks at three and made one of them,” Kidd said.
The coach also reflected on his team’s three-point shooting. “We would love to get it up, but we’ve got to be able to shoot the ball straight,” Kidd said. “Sometimes when you’re not shooting the ball straight, you start to overthink things. We missed a layup or two, and they capitalized and made threes.”
Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey proved difficult to contain. “He’s an all-star, one of the young upcoming players that is playing extremely well for them right now,” Kidd said. “With Maxey being able to handle with his speed and his ability to score, you pay attention to him, he makes you pay. He finds his shooters.”
Kidd also discussed the return of Anthony Davis. “First game back, I thought he was good,” Kidd said. He added that PJ Washington could increase his scoring output. “We would like for him to take more shots. Again, sometimes when you’re not shooting the ball straight, you start to overthink things. For PJ, getting to the free throw line is a plus.”
The coach highlighted rookie Cooper Flagg’s early-game aggression. “He’s probably a little tired, he’s played a lot of minutes—the most in his career, more than he had in college,” Kidd said. “You just look at the physicality, and I thought he found open teammates tonight.”
Max Christie led Dallas with 18 points, while Flagg added 12 and Davis 13. Despite their efforts, Dallas shot just 38% for the game and struggled to match Philadelphia’s 53% efficiency.
The Mavericks will host the Houston Rockets on Saturday, hoping to improve their shooting and limit turnovers against another Eastern Conference opponent.
