Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd highlighted his team’s energy and effort in a 130-120 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. “The group played at a very high level this afternoon…Coop was great…he found his rhythm tonight with 10 assists,” Kidd said.
He emphasized the impact of lineup adjustments. “Our new center, I’m looking at, you know, PJ at the five going small…that got us moving, the ball moving, got bodies moving,” he explained, adding that Ryan Nembhard and Max Christie contributed to ball movement and spacing.
Kidd noted the role of bench players in maintaining energy. “John [Poulakidas] was really good for us…turning down a vet to take his shots…he was six for seven from three being out as long as he was,” he said.
On team strategy, Kidd stressed pace and three-point generation. “We were just looking at can we generate some more threes…playing with pace, I thought the energy of the ball was moving there with that first group,” he said. He also highlighted Naji Marshall’s ball-handling and decision-making. “Being the second or third handler…definitely helps…ball moved a lot more than it has here in the past.”
Kidd addressed defensive contributions, particularly from P.J. Washington. “Great hands…maybe underestimated for shot blocking…being able to rebound the ball…he had a double-double…really did a great job for us tonight,” he said.
Reflecting on the previous loss to Cleveland, Kidd credited the team’s adjustments. “We got beat pretty good at home…understanding the things that we made mistakes at home we could correct…this was a character check, and everybody checked in and passed,” he said.
He also discussed the tactical advantage of small-ball lineups. “Playing PJ, a small five, being able to stretch…trying to get Mobley away from the basket…understanding the small, small was really good,” Kidd noted, highlighting how Dallas created spacing and offensive opportunities.
Kidd concluded by stressing ongoing team development. “He understands how to play the game…find his teammates…making all the right decisions right now…we have no idea, we’ll let you know come game time what we look like…could be a change, maybe not a change,” he said.
The Mavericks overcame a 33-point loss from two days prior, with Cooper Flagg scoring 27 points, Naji Marshall adding 25, and P.J. Washington contributing 20 points and 11 rebounds. Dallas moves on to face New Orleans on Monday, while Cleveland travels to Milwaukee on Tuesday.
