Jason Kidd Calls Out Mavericks For Game 1 Performance

The Dallas Mavericks were in a great position heading into the start of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Their first-round opponent, the Los Angeles Clippers, would be short-handed as their star, Kawhi Leonard, has been sidelined by a knee injury.

A lot of people have expressed confidence that the Mavericks would not only win the series but that they would steal Game 1 as well. Dallas was the most bet NBA team over the weekend, but the books once again came out ahead.

Writing off the Clippers has proven to be premature. Despite not having Leonard in the lineup, they were able to blow out the Mavericks on Sunday afternoon, 109-97. The final score isn’t even an indication of just how lopsided the game was as Los Angeles led by as many as 29 points in the game and never trailed.

Dallas spent the final 36:39 of the game trailing by double-figures, as Los Angeles was never really challenged after the first quarter. That led to head coach Jason Kidd calling out his team for how they played.

“They were physical and we were passive,” Kidd said after the game. That is certainly an accurate description, as the Mavericks got nothing going on either end of the court as the Clippers dominated every facet of the game.

Several players stepped up for Los Angeles, as five players scored in double-figures to help compensate for the loss of Leonard. James Harden led the way with a vintage 28-point performance, while Paul George and Ivica Zubac also reached the 20-point plateau.

For Dallas, it was the Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving show. They scored 64 out of the team’s 97 points, as P.J. Washington was the only other player in double-figures with 11.

That is something the Clippers will certainly live with throughout the series. Doncic and Irving are very talented players and will get theirs. But if they can limit the impact of the supporting cast, as they did in Game 1, a trip to the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs is attainable.

It will be interesting to see what kind of adjustments Kidd makes for Game 2. His Mavericks showed more life in the second half, but the hole they dug themselves in early on was too much to overcome.