The 108-111 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers has thrown the Dallas Mavericks back in the playoff race. The Texans are currently still in sixth place, but even the Lakers in eleventh place are only 2.5 games behind. Dallas coach Jason Kidd now sees his team as a duty, but he is also under increasing pressure himself.
The Dallas Mavericks were already in the lead with 27 points before they gradually let the cold-started Los Angeles Lakers get closer and gambled away a victory they believed to be secure. Understandably, Kidd only partly agreed with his team’s performance, but he also had to put up with critical questions after the game.
When asked why he didn’t take time-outs when the Lakers were on a run, he replied, “I’m not the savior here. I’m not playing. I’m watching, just like you. As a team, we have to mature. We have to grow up,” he urged. “We’ve got to grow up if we’re going to win a championship. The Lakers just showed us that it’s not the rabbit that wins, it’s the turtle,” he added. He also criticized the referees. His team was a little “distracted by the whistles”.
Kidd also singled out an opponent player who doesn’t typically get that much of a spotlight: Jarred Vanderbilt, who was only playing his fifth game for the Lakers. “Vanderbilt kicked us in the ass,” Kidd said in respect to the 23-year-old. Vanderbilt came to Los Angeles three weeks ago in a three-team trade alongside D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley.
Vanderbilt showed his best game in the new jersey against the Mavericks. 15 points (6/8 FG, 1/1 three), 17 rebounds and 4 steals were on the credit side for him. Over the season, he’s under in each of these categories (8.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.0 steals).