Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd discussed key issues following Thursday’s 123-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at the American Airlines Center. The loss dropped Dallas to 12-23, extending a difficult rebuilding stretch.
“I thought the turnovers in the second inning and the fact that we didn’t shoot the ball straight, we took advantage of that,” Kidd said. “We were getting looks, but we just couldn’t take advantage of the paint.”
Kidd praised Jaden Hardy’s contributions from the bench. “Hardy gave us a spark. He came in and took a great look at three and made one,” Kidd said.
The coach also reflected on his team’s three-point shooting. “We’d like to get it up, but we have to be able to shoot the ball straight,” Kidd said. “Sometimes when you don’t shoot the ball straight, you start to overthink things. We missed a couple of layups, and they made it three.”
Philadelphia guard Tyrese Maxey proved difficult to contain. “He’s an all-star, one of the young up and coming players who is playing extremely well for them right now,” Kidd said. “Now that Maxey can handle his speed and his ability to score, you watch him, he makes you pay. He finds his shooters.”
Kidd also discussed the return of Anthony Davis. “In the first game back, I thought he was good,” Kidd said. He added that PJ Washington could increase his scoring prowess. “We would like him to make more shots. Sometimes when you don’t shoot the ball straight, you start to overthink things. For PJ, getting to the free-throw line is a plus.”
The coach highlighted rookie Cooper Flagg’s aggression in the early game. “He’s probably a little tired, he’s played a lot of minutes — the most in his career, more than in college,” Kidd said. “You just look at the physicality, and I thought he found open teammates tonight.”
Max Christie led Dallas with 18 points, while Flagg added 12 and Davis 13. Despite their efforts, Dallas shot just 38% for the game and struggled to match Philadelphia’s 53% efficiency.
The Mavericks will host the Houston Rockets on Saturday, hoping to improve their shooting and limit turnovers against another Eastern Conference opponent.
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