It’s been a long, long time since the Mavericks were thought of as tough guys.
Like, maybe, never.
But with more than a dash of humor, Jason Kidd was quick to stick up for his team in the physicality department after Monday’s 112-104 victory over Washington.
Luka Dončić emerged with a few stitches in his chin, courtesy of a wayward elbow on Corey Kispert’s drive to the bucket. This after he broke his nose a couple games ago.
That on top of the broken schnoz belonging to Maxi Kleber and Dereck Lively II.
It’s one thing to be headstrong, but the Mavericks have found that leading with your head is better when it refers to the thinking-man’s part of basketball, not with the physical part.
“He’s not soft, that’s for sure,” Kidd said of Dončić. “He’s one of the toughest kids I’ve had the opportunity to coach. And he’s not scared of a fight.
“The stitches and the nose. He’s rolling with the face right now. We’re a physical team, the Mavs. All the cuts and broken noses we have?
“You should see the other guys.”
Remember, after getting stitched up, Luka’s team was trailing by 11 points early in the fourth quarter.
When he returned? The results of that fourth quarter speak for themselves.
Dončić made all three of his shots, scored nine points, had four rebounds and four assists and the Mavericks outscored the Wizards 34-16.
After three uninspired quarters, the Mavericks saved themselves with a dynamic fourth.
“You look at his toughness, he’s playing with a broken nose,” Kidd said of Luka. “Never complains and found a way after getting the stitches to help the team win tonight.”
Also in that quarter Jaden Hardy kick-started the Mavericks with a pair of three-pointers and eight points.
Which brings us to our takeaways from the comeback win.
Hardy’s instant impact: The second-year guard played only 13 minutes, but the Mavericks were plus-nine when he was on the floor. They won by eight, so it’s easy to do the math. Hardy’s two three-pointers were the catalysts for the 12-2 charge that got the Mavericks within 95-94 after trailing by 11 points. From there, Luka and Maxi Kleber took over. “I thought Hardy was great for us,” Kidd said. “He gave us a spark by getting to the basket and knocking down (the threes).”
Rare times: The challenge that the Wizards presented should not have surprised anybody. The Mavericks beat Washington at AAC for the first time since the 2020-21 season. In addition, it was one of the worst shooting nights of the season for the Mavericks. They were 9-of-36 (25 percent) from three-point range. It was the first time they won a game this season with fewer than 10 triples. The last time they did it was against Houston nearly two years ago in the 2021-22 season.
Strong numbers: The fact that Dončić and Kyrie Irving each finished with 26 points was critical. That they added a combined 19 rebounds and 18 assists made this one of their best combined games . . . Tim Hardaway Jr. may have been just 2-of-13 from the field. But the Mavericks were only minus-four in his 21 minutes, meaning he was doing enough in other areas to keep the Mavericks afloat . . . The Mavericks had 16 turnovers, but the key to the game was that they had only three of them after halftime and just one in the telling fourth quarter.
X: @ESefko
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