Jason Kidd makes home debut with win over Rockets

Last night was the first time since the end of the 2007-08 season that someone other than Rick Carlisle could be seen leading the Mavericks from the sidelines. After two games on the road, Jason Kidd made his home debut as Dallas coach and did so with victory; something to some extent expected when facing the Houston Rockets, a team immersed in a deep reconstruction.

Although seeing Kidd as head coach in the city of Texas it was a novelty, without a doubt it was for fans of a familiar face. Dallas chose him as No. 2 in the 1994 draft and he returned to the team later to be one of the leaders of the 2011 ring alongside Dirk Nowitzki.

For his first game at American Airlines Arena, Kidd decided that all 15 active players would participate. The plan did not go wrong. It was not an excellent triumph, but it was a victory that allows them to enter a positive record and start their home career in the best possible way.

“I will not be able to do that many more times, play with 15. It is something beautiful both in terms of chemistry and responsibility. They all played, but our idea was to win… and they made it possible tonight, ”he says.

In a game that did not break until the final stretch (at the beginning of the last quarter they were only winning by two points), Luka Doncic was once again the leader on the floor with 26 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. The Slovenian performed as expected and was accompanied by 16 points from both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Reggie Bullock (off the bench), and by 11 points and 11 assists from Jalen Brunson. “If you watched the first three seasons, the reality is that he was always great. And as you can see, he improved in the pass », Luka explains about his teammate. backcourt.

Regarding the Rockets, the top scorer was Eric Gordon with 22 points off the bench. Among the starters, Christian Wood’s double-double of 16 points and 17 rebounds stood out, as well as that made by Daniel Theis with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Although they ended up losing, Wood highlights the team’s fighting ability.

We were there. I loved the way we compete. We had energy throughout the game. We let it slip away from us after the third quarter.

Physical problems for Porzingis

Year after year it seems that seeing Kristaps Porzingis healthy and competitive is impossible. Dallas has only played three games and last night the Latvian could not finish it due to back problems, apparently related to certain spasms. In 20 minutes on the court he could only contribute 9 points and 3 rebounds. At least it seems that it is not an ailment that will spread over time, since Jason Kidd himself announced at the end of the clash that his player was well will be evaluated again in the next few hours.

(Photograph by Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)