Getty Jason Kidd and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks have gotten themselves into a precarious situation. Despite their massive trade for Kyrie Irving at the deadline this year, they have struggled to get positive results, and because of that, they find themselves out of the playoff picture right now.
Their performance on Wednesday night didn’t do much to help their cause, either. Despite being up by as many as 12 points in the second quarter, the Philadelphia 76ers battled all the way back, earning the win. After the game, Luka Doncic revealed that he and Kyrie Irving recently met with head coach Jason Kidd.
“Just just playing with him. We met, too, with Jason,” Doncic said via NBA.com. “So, it was good. Us three. But this is the whole team, man. The whole team got to step it up a little bit. We still have chances. So, we shouldn’t give up yet.”
With their loss to Philadelphia, Dallas is just 1-5 in their last six games, and their hopes of making the postseason are dwindling every time they lose.
Against the 76ers, Doncic put up decent stats. He finished the game with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists on 9-of-20 shooting from the field and 4-of-9 shooting from behind the three-point line.
As for Irving, he also had a solid night against Philadelphia. The Mavericks point guard ended the night with 23 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals on 8-of-17 shooting from the floor and 3-of-7 shooting from beyond the three-point arc.
Jaden Hardy Praises Luka Doncic & Kyrie Irving
While things may not be going according to plan as of late, the talent and leadership of Doncic and Irving are definitely rubbing off on the rest of the team. After Dallas’ recent win over the Indiana Pacers, Jaden Hardy spoke about the impact they’ve had on him.
“Playing with [Luka and Kyrie], they both give me confidence,” Hardy said via the team’s YouTube channel. “Just always in my ear trying to help me. [I’m] asking them when I’m out there on the floor what they see, and them just telling me – it helps me when I’m out there.”
He also mentioned a specific moment he shared with Irving in Dallas’ win over Indiana.
“Tonight I was talking with Kyrie [when] we were in transition,” Hardy explained. “He was telling me, just like ‘be aware of the clock.’ And on the last play, he’s asking me did I see the clock and stuff like that. … He was just making sure I was aware of the timing.”
Jason Kidd Sounds Off on Luka Doncic
On a brighter note, Doncic pulled off a wild pass against the Pacers, and after the game, Kidd praised him for the crazy dime.
“Pretty cool. Which one, though? He had a couple of them that were pretty cool,” Kidd said via the Mavericks’ official YouTube channel. “He was kind of trapped. I think that’s what he does. He’s one of the best passers in the league. He can find guys. He’s strong enough. I don’t know if anybody else can make that pass. And then, to be able to catch and shoot, Hardy did that not just once, but a couple of times tonight from Luka’s double-teams and are off some of the passes. Again, he can make passes most guys can’t.”