Jason Kidd Highlights Celtics’ Mindset After Mavs’ Game 4 Win

Jason Kidd Highlights Celtics’ Mindset After Mavs’ Game 4 Win originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston

The Dallas Mavericks aren’t done with the 2024 NBA Finals, and coach Jason Kidd isn’t done hyping up the Boston Celtics.

Facing elimination and a series sweep on Friday night at American Airlines Center, Dallas came together to deliver a 122-84 rout of Boston in Game 4. The Mavs stifled the Celtics’ offense, limiting them to the worst shooting percentage ever in an NBA Finals game (36.3%) en route to the third-largest loss in Finals history.

So was this result a matter of Dallas showing up or did Boston just not show up? Kidd believes the answer is both.

“It’s very simple. We don’t need to complicate this. This is not surgery,” Kidd said in his postgame press conference. “Our group was ready to go. They were ready to celebrate.”

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That’s a direct shot at the Celtics’ mindset heading into a potential playoff game, but it’s also an accurate statement. The C’s were never really in this game, trailing by 13 points after the first quarter while playing uncharacteristically sloppy basketball on both ends.

“Understand, we take a stand,” Kidd added. “We were desperate. We have to keep playing like this; understand that they are 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. You saw that tonight. They let go of the ropes very early.”

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla and veteran Al Horford both admitted the Mavs played with more effortin addition to executing at a much higher level: Dallas made 52.3 percent of its shots and dominated nearly every part of the box score, from rebounds (52-31) to second-chance points (16-2) and points in the area (60-26).

That’s a recipe for a total loss. But while it’s frustrating that the Celtics dropped the ball on the game’s biggest stage, they typically respond well to similar failures: They’re 2-0 after losses this postseason, with a 20-point win over Miami. Beat in Game 3 of the first round and 13-point victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the second round.

And if franchise Finals history is any indication, Mazzulla’s club is primed for a big response Monday night in Game 5 at TD Garden.

“I’m not sure it changes much,” Celtics guard Jrue Holiday said of the Celtics’ mindset after Friday’s loss. “(We) have to get home, rest, hydrate and lock ourselves in again.

“… I think the series shows we’re up 3-1 heading back to Boston.”