Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Kidd on blowing huge lead: Mavs have to 'grow up'

Written by 
Published in Basketball
Sunday, 26 February 2023 21:25

DALLAS -- Coach Jason Kidd called out the maturity of the Dallas Mavericks after they were on the wrong end of the biggest comeback of the NBA season Sunday afternoon.

The Mavs managed to blow a 27-point lead en route to a 111-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at the American Airlines Center. NBA teams were 138-0 after leading by that much this season before the Mavs' meltdown, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. "I'm not the savior here. I'm not playing," Kidd said when asked why he used only one timeout in the second and third quarters as the lead was slipping away. "I'm watching, just like you guys.

"As a team, we've got to mature. ... We've got to grow up -- if we want to win a championship. There's no young team that's ever won a championship, mentally or physically."

The Mavs' starting lineup featured four players who are 30 or older. The exception is 23-year-old superstar Luka Doncic. While Kidd did not specifically call out Doncic, he also emphasized that the Mavs were affected by disagreements with the officials.

As he often does, Doncic consistently argued calls and non-calls throughout the course of the game, several times while the ball was in play.

"Just focus on that play," Kidd said. "Can't get distracted with the whistle, and just keep playing. It just happens that way. We've seen a lot of basketball games. When you have big leads, you know which way the whistle is going to go."

Doncic finished with 26 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, but he struggled after dominating the first quarter (14 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists). Doncic had as many turnovers as field goals in the last three quarters, when he was 5-of-14 from the floor.

"We lost our rhythm in the sense of just playing the game and not worrying about the other elements," Kidd said. "We were playing at a high level on both ends, offensively and defensively, and then we just got a little distracted with the whistle. We've just got to be better with that."

Asked if he allowed his disagreements with officials to become a distraction, Doncic said, "It's probably true."

However, Doncic didn't think a loss of composure was the primary reason the Mavs suffered their third loss in four games that he has played with fellow All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, Dallas' recent blockbuster trade acquisition.

"You can say that, but we still had a big lead," Doncic said. "Sometimes you're going to lose it, but I think we just relaxed a little bit and we've got to work on that."

Doncic made an uncharacteristic mental blunder on the game's most critical possession. On an inbounds play coming out of a timeout with 18.1 seconds remaining and the Mavs trailing by three points, Doncic committed a turnover after trying to save the ball from going over the half-court line instead of simply going into the backcourt to catch Irving's pass intentionally thrown away from Lakers defend Jarred Vanderbilt.

"It's my bad," Doncic said. "I totally forgot you can go backcourt. That was my mistake."

Read 84 times

Soccer

Tebas: LaLiga could play in U.S. as soon as '25

Tebas: LaLiga could play in U.S. as soon as '25

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLaLiga president Javier Tebas said the Spanish league is hopeful of...

Fernandes magic saves Man Utd in comeback win

Fernandes magic saves Man Utd in comeback win

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes came to his side's rescue with two goals in a 4-2 home vic...

Mbappé makes history to put PSG on brink of title

Mbappé makes history to put PSG on brink of title

Kylian Mbappé scored twice to make more history with Paris Saint-Germain and put the club on the ver...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Nets' Fernandez: Retaining Claxton a 'priority'

Nets' Fernandez: Retaining Claxton a 'priority'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- New Brooklyn Nets coach Jordi Fernandez wasted no time...

The biggest storylines coming into two massive Game 2s

The biggest storylines coming into two massive Game 2s

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder, the two 1-seeds in th...

Baseball

Jays place Kiermaier (hip) on IL, call up Barger

Jays place Kiermaier (hip) on IL, call up Barger

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Toronto Blue Jays placed outfielder Kevin Kiermaier on the 10-d...

Giants' Snell scratched from start, placed on IL

Giants' Snell scratched from start, placed on IL

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe San Francisco Giants scratched left-hander Blake Snell from his...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated