Jason Kidd had a one-of-a-kind type of day on Friday night in Atlanta. He scored 19 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and dished 17 assists. That was one of only six 15, 15, 15 games in the history of the NBA, one of which was accomplished previously by Kidd, the other four were accomplished by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson (two each). If you were watching, Kidd’s play was just as special and elite as those numbers make it sound. He hit three three pointers in a row in the fourth quarter to give his team the lead and he grabbed a couple of key steals. But Kidd’s best play of the night may have been this heads up move with his team down by two and just over a minute to go. Kidd spotted Hawks coach Mike Woodson standing on the floor and ran into him:
A technical foul was called on Woodson allowing Dirk Nowitzki to hit a free throw and make it a one point game. The Mavs sent it to overtime and won 111-103. They really can thank stellar play from Kidd, Dirk, Marion, and Terry for the win. Kidd talked about his genius play after the game:
I thought from there, mentally, we took control of the game. That play just presented itself. It’s just a reaction and just understanding what the team needs. Rules are rules. The coach isn’t supposed to be on the floor.”
Woodson accepted the blame for that play and later tipped his hat to Kidd. Thinking of smart plays like that is just another reason why at 36-years-old, Jason Kidd can still get it done at a high level. Very high level.
