Postgame Comments: Dallas Mavericks 102, Bulls 94 | 02.25.08

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( 38 - 19 )

Boylan

“We did some good things. I like the way we didn’t quit out there tonight. Every time we got down we battle back right to the end. Loose balls seemed to be a big part of the game tonight for them. Anytime you play against Jason Kidd – he did the same thing in New Jersey and when I was with him in Phoenix the same thing – he comes up with those loose balls and they decide the game sometimes. Tonight they [Dallas] came up with a couple of key ones and they turned into big threes and we just didn’t come up with it. Our guys battled, though, playing against two good teams. Now we’re going to Indiana and try to take something from these games and go up play a division rival and a team that’s right there with us chasing the playoffs.”

Deng

Was it a little easier to find your rhythm tonight being in the starting lineup?
“We’re still trying to work it out there. There’s still a lot of confusion and we’re going to get better playing together but it’s very confusing out there right now.”

Were you encouraged by how you guys were able to fight back from that early deficit?
“Yeah, they came out – being Jason’s [Kidd] first game [at home] – fired up. We did a good job of just staying focused and playing hard.”

Gooden

On beind down early but never quitting:
“We fought, we fought, we competed. It was just that they knocked down open shots. They had a lot of energy tonight, Jason Kidd’s first game at home, the crowed was into it, they shot nine for fourteen from the three point line and it’s tough to beat a team when they’re doing that at home.”

On the Mavericks and Jason Kidd and what he can see out there with him:
“I think it’s like the old Dallas with Steve Nash almost. A guy that can push the ball, throw the pitch ahead, and keep a team honest in transition. I think he does a great job, he has veteran savvy, and he’s a great added plus to [Dallas].”

Johnson

On the teams up and down performance tonight:
“It is just cycles of a game. Sometimes the games can be a roller coaster and a wave and you just have to ride different waves. We were very into this game early in the game, we were moving the ball. It was really fun to watch. Then we started to have some careless turnovers. I do not think we are going to win many games with 21 turnovers, but again, we are still in the lab with this team. It is still a process. Hopefully we will get out of this soon. We have a couple of miscues from time to time, but the great thing about it is I have to tone them down in a different way. With some of the passes they are trying to make is great, we just weren’t a very good passing team before and now we are trying to become a better passing team. An because of that you are going to have some mistakes. The way we are trying to move the ball, I like it.”

On Erick Dampier’s impact in the game:
“Game ball. Game ball tonight. It was like a football game and he got the game ball. Stack is right behind him. What they did together collectively tonight was special. Damp understands that he is going to be playing more and he is fired up about it.”

How important was Jerry Stackhouse tonight?
“He was good. Stack was there pretty much for us the whole game. Bass had a slow first half, but he came on a little bit for us in the second half. Especially those two guys, we can use some production out of those two guys. George is going to get more time than what he did tonight. Right now it is pretty much those three guys coming off the bench for us and I’ve been going back and forth on using Allen and Juwan Howard. Eddie is still in play. Right now we are still trying to figure out who is going to that eight or nine guys."

On the team’s defense in the last four games:
“Let’s look at the four teams that we have played. First of all, we played a New Orleans team that was really an emotional game for us. We just weren’t all on the same page and I think they are an awfully good team. Obviously Memphis, we have played well against them this year, but the Minnesota team that we beat, I think they played pretty good against Phoenix. They lost by one point to the World Champions, so again they have been playing pretty good basketball and a team that can beat you. This team, you know they scored 135 points on Denver, who we think is a pretty good basketball team. So, for us to come in here and hold them to 94, I thought that was pretty good. Right now, like I said, it is not so much about the competition, as much as it is where we are tying to look at some situations and work on some situations with Kidd just to make him feel comfortable.”

What will Jason Kidd do to improve this team?
“We are just going to have to be together for a while and I don’t think he is going to improve it in five days or four games. Give us 10 games. Then we will see where we are. We haven’t played particularly well on the road this year, so lets give this team a chance to see what they can do on the road. So, that is what we are going to do, just give them a short time and see where they are. We don’t have 60 games.”

Stackhouse

“I’m not worried about our team right now. Obviously, we’re just trying to figure each other out. We’re not worried about the rotation. We’re just trying to find some continuity. We’ve got a lot new pieces. It’s almost like training camp or early part of the season. We’ve just got to figure out, with the new guys, what we’ve got. We’re still learning each other. With our main core, we know what we’re going to get when it gets down to crunch time. We’ve just got to keep battling and we’ll be fine.”

“He (Jason Kidd) forces the issue especially in transition. And I love it. I love getting out and run. And being able to get the defense on its heels and create some easy opportunity. And, as you can see, his passing becomes contagious. He makes good passes and the next guy is looking to make a nice pass. I think that’s where we are right now. We can get everybody on that same page, just sharing and moving the ball. It’s fun to watch and it’s fun to play.”

“nothing surprises me with this team. We’re adding a point guard who’s not afraid to get a turnover and not afraid to force the issue. I mean, that’s it, not to take anything away from the guys we had. It just wasn’t their makeup. And now we’ve got a guy that he doesn’t give a damn if he’s got nine turnovers, he’s going to push it again on that 10th one. And he’s got the confidence to do it.”

Kidd

“I did have a couple games but it’s always a little bit nerve wracking coming back. I was so excited to have this opportunity and this second chance to come back and play for the franchise. I just wanted to make a good impression at home since we’ve been away for a while. So I was just happy to get back here and to get that first shot under my belt.”

“Again, we want to get out and run and get easy shots. We’ve got so many guys that can get out. We’ve got JT (Jason Terry), Josh (Howard), Dirk (Nowitzki), Damp (Erick Dampier) can run for us. For me, it’s like a kid in a candy store. There are five guys who can get the shot. It was good to get out and run. Damp was huge for us on points in the paint and blocked shots.”

“The funny thing is that now you’re seeing everybody passing it. Everybody is touching the ball. The game becomes fun. We had a couple turnovers there but we’ll clean that up and make sure that everybody is touching the ball.”