Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd spoke candidly after his team fell 120-100 to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Friday night. “We felt we played pretty good. If we could have played better in that first half… we just in the second half we were flat,” Kidd said. “They moved the ball. They’re one of the best at passing up a shot to create another shot and they did that at a high level in the second half.”
Kidd emphasized his team’s missed opportunities despite aggressive play. “We had some good looks that just didn’t go down… now his shooting percentage isn’t great, but he was aggressive. He had some great looks that just didn’t go down,” Kidd said, referring to rookie Cooper Flagg. “He found his teammates. He hurt his foot early on, but he’s a tough kid and he came back and again wanted to help his team win.”
Addressing the back-to-back schedule, Kidd clarified there were no excuses for Dallas’ second-half struggles. “NBA, that’s sometimes just the way the schedule goes… we just couldn’t get the ball to fall for us. We had good looks… and tonight they took advantage of our misses,” he said.
Kidd also praised Max Christie for maintaining aggression despite the team’s difficulties. “The character of this group, you know, Max is one of them… for him to be aggressive tonight, we needed that,” Kidd said.
He acknowledged the unique atmosphere surrounding Jayson Tatum’s return. “Just understanding that he’s a big part of the franchise and for him to come back at the speed that he did… as he knocks off some of the rust, he makes the Celtics a contender.”
The Mavericks coach was impressed by the crowd reaction to Flagg. “I’ve never heard a road player get a cheer like that, especially here in Boston… it shows the appreciation they have for Coop and who he is today and who he will be as his journey goes forward,” Kidd said, highlighting the respect Flagg earned during his first TD Garden appearance.
Boston dominated through balanced scoring and rebounding, with Jaylen Brown contributing 24 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, Derrick White adding 20 points, and Neemias Queta recording a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Tatum finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists while playing in short bursts. The Celtics shot 47 percent from the field and produced 29 assists, highlighting teamwork as Tatum returned from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“We just couldn’t stop them on the other end… Boston’s a good team and they took advantage of our misses,” Kidd said. Flagg led Dallas with 16 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, while Klay Thompson scored 19 points with five three-pointers. Despite individual efforts, Dallas fell to 21-42 and suffered a sixth straight loss.
The Mavericks will continue their road trip against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, as Kidd’s squad looks to regroup against a team climbing the Eastern Conference standings.
