Authors of 33 points each, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving further punished the Wolves. The two players controlled the end of the match by scoring 21 of the Mavericks' 29 points between them in the fourth quarter to win 116-107. The two All-Stars allow the Mavs to have a foot and a half in the NBA Finals with this third victory, and Jason Kidd feels privileged to have such relays on the court.
“We have confidence in Kai (Kyrie Irving) and Luka (Doncic) as quarterbacks. I was in that position, and the coach trusted me to make the right decisions,” remembers the Dallas coach. “ And when you talk to both of those guys, they want to win and help the team. Luka put pressure on and trusted his teammates, while Kai turned down a shot to find PJ in the corner and that started our run. They did a great job with the pace in the fourth quarter, being able to run when we got the rebound. »
Finding the right balance
The whole difficulty in this trio of leaders and strong personalities (Doncic-Irving-Kidd) is not to encroach on each person's role. Former playmaker, Jason Kidd must impose his systems, while making his two jewels responsible and giving them the freedom to dictate the game. This is the balance that the Mavericks coach is trying to find. A balance which also bears fruit in the “money-time” where decision-making is important and where everyone must push in the same direction.
“My job is to inform them of what I see and put them in a position to succeed,” he explains. “But they do a big job, and I have to sit back and watch them do it. They are doing it at a very high level and we must continue like this. Once again, it all comes down to Luka and Kyrie's confidence with the ball. They create very good actions by finding their teammates, but also by being able to put shots when we needed them. »
Players and coaches alike have room for improvement
Upon arrival, this mutual trust pulls the team to the top, but also Kidd himself.
“We talk a lot about players, but coaches also evolve and improve over time” he concludes. “For me, I try to improve every day, watching video, and my staff does an incredible job preparing the players. That's why, when the season is over, I will look back to see what I need to improve. But there is always room for improvement for the coach and the players. »
