The Boston Celtics did not juggernaut against the Dallas Mavericks as they emerged victorious in the first game of the NBA finals series. Most of the credit belonged to the consistent performances from forwards like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Apparently, the aftermath has turned interesting, and opposing coach Jason Kidd might have started pulling moves. The recent update from the Mavs coach got the attention of the NBA fanatics as a backhand trick to pull some uncordial strings in the Celtics team.
While talking to the media recently, Kidd was asked about the difficulty facing Brown on the floor; he simply replied, “Well, Jaylen is their best player.” Ironically, it was Tatum on whom the Mavs were double-teaming in the last game. Yet Kidd favored Brown, which seems to have rung a bell for NBA fans, as one of them called it, “playing mind games.” The reaction referenced the fact of seeding a rivalry between Tatum and Brown and crumbling the sportsmanship in the Celtics. Even Al Horford replied after listening to Kidd’s response, “That man is sneaky.”
Jason Kidd was asked what makes going up against Jaylen Brown so challenging:
“Well, Jaylen’s their best player.” pic.twitter.com/iIYbXgZw1m
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA) June 8, 2024
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It seems like Jason Kidd is riding on the rumors that Tatum did not “look happy” while Brown was awarded the Eastern Conference Finals MVP player. One of the NBA fans reacted to Kidd’s statement in a humorous way as he commented, “It’s like he’s asking for Tatum to drop 50 on them tomorrow night.” Apparently, the fan was implying how these statements are just mere healthy competition motivations for Tatum. Rather than a downfall, it might up Tatum’s game in Game 2.
Jason Kidd has got something up his sleeve for Game 2
Though Jason Kidd tried to play a sneaky move, he has proved himself to be a great coach for the Dallas Mavericks. He joined the Mavs in 2022 and changed the face of the league for good. Kidd and his squad have experienced more playoff games since his joining. Most of the credit for such impeccable performance from the NBA finalists goes to Kyrie Irving. He balanced the team, but Kidd brought resonance to the team. He attributed the team to playing according to each other’s beats.
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Impressively, the Dallas Mavericks have only won one game in playoff series openers. They have lost Game 1 seven times during the playoff series. Yet they have bounced back several times as their Game 2 record under Kidd in the postseason is 5-1. The stats suggest that the Mavs observe the compatibility of players against the opposing team.
As soon as they figure out the exact match and key changes, they bounce back in Game 2. So, there is a greater probability that the second match might not come easy for the Boston Celtics. How will Kidd unleash his team’s full potential on the floor after a not-so-satisfying series opener? What’s your opinion about Game 2 analytics? Let us know in the comments.