Jason Kidd Praises 'Desperate' Mavericks for Challenging Celtics in Game 4 Victory

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was proud of how the team managed to achieve a Game 4 victory by having a desparate mentality against the Boston Celtics.

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd looks on against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter during game three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

BOSTON — The Dallas Mavericks dominated the Boston Celtics in Game 4, achieving a 122-84 victory. They held the Celtics to 36.3% shooting from the floor, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored a combined 25 points, and the Mavs dominated the boards while limiting their turnovers.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was proud of how his team was the aggressor from the start of the team, resulting in the Celtics pulling their starters in the third quarter with a deficit that grew to be as large as 48 points.

“Our group was ready to go. They were ready to celebrate,” Kidd said. “Understand, we made a stand. We were desperate. We got to continue to keep playing that way; understand they’re trying to find a way to close the door. The hardest thing in this league is to close the door when you have a group that has nothing to lose. (Friday) you saw that. They let go of the rope, you know, pretty early.”

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd looks on against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter during game three of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Luka Doncic outscored the Celtics’ stars by himself, finishing with 29 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Kyrie Irving added 21 points as Dallas hit 50.5 percent of its shots in their best all-around performance of the NBA Finals.

No team has ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit in NBA history, so the Mavericks face a daunting challenge if they hope to make history. “We have nothing to lose going to Boston,” Kidd said.

Despite beginning the series with three losses, Kidd is confident in his team's tendency to improve as the series progresses. “If we look at the analytics of our group, they are young, and as the series goes on, they get better,” he said. “Hopefully, that’s true (Monday) night."

While Game 5 will be a high-stakes matchup on the road in a hostile environment, Kidd remains encouraged by the Mavericks' chances of pulling it off.

“Sometimes when you do play an opponent over and over, you get used to the tendencies and you start to capitalize on that on both ends, defensively and offensively," Kidd said. "Hopefully, our group has seen enough of Boston to understand what they are good at, and hopefully, we can take that away (Monday) night."

If the Mavericks achieve a surprise victory in Game 5, they will head back to Dallas with a chance to force a Game 7 if they successfully defend homecourt at American Airlines Center.

Stick with MavericksGameday for more coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the NBA Finals.

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