Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd acknowledged the physicality gap in Tuesday’s 120-111 loss to the Phoenix Suns at the Mortgage Matchup Center. “The physicality, they were physical and we weren’t in that first half. And I thought the group did a better job there in the second half of the physicality,” Kidd said.
The Mavericks cut a 31-point deficit late in the fourth quarter, but Phoenix held on. Kidd noted, “We cut the lead. We had some good looks that just hit back rim.” Despite the loss, he highlighted individual performances, including Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg. “Those two have been playing well for us here, and we asked Naji to come off the bench, and it didn’t change his mentality. He played well tonight,” Kidd said.
Dallas struggled from three-point range, making only 5 of 22 attempts. Kidd explained, “We got some looks that just haven’t gone down, and I think sometimes when they don’t go down early, we kind of get discouraged, and we got to be better.” He added, “In this league, you’re going to miss some, and you got to look at taking the next one.”
Kidd praised new addition Khris Middleton for his defensive awareness and playmaking. “I thought playmaking through Gaff a lot, you know, something that we have missed here to be able to get a big, but just his pick and roll, being able to do that,” Kidd said. He also noted Middleton’s defensive contributions, stating, “He can shoot the ball, too. But just the defense, his ability to understand what teams are trying to do, and he helped us defensively down the stretch.”
Maintaining team morale during the game was a priority for Kidd. “There’s a lot of basketball. Just understanding there was one little fix, and that was just the physicality,” he said. Kidd emphasized the importance of effort on both ends, particularly with free throws, noting, “Getting to the free throw line was a big thing for us tonight.”
P.J. Washington’s scoring slump also drew attention. Kidd stressed confidence and patience: “This is a game of ups and downs, and you just have to continue to keep working, and P.J. is doing that, and we believe that he’ll work through his offensive struggles.”
Rookie Tyus Jones also caught Kidd’s eye for his versatility. “Understanding his ability to get us into plays and his structure and then also his passing, but also his shot-making ability. He can shoot the floater, he can shoot the mid-range, and also he had some good looks at threes tonight,” Kidd said.
With the Mavericks now 19-34, Kidd looks ahead to Thursday’s matchup at the Los Angeles Lakers. The coach concluded on the need for adjustment and growth: “We were a lot better with the physicality and then taking care of the ball,” he said, signaling a focus on finishing the season strong despite the current losing streak.
