05/06/2011 - 18:13 Jason Pushes Mavs' Title Aspirations by Devon Jeffreys It's safe to say that the Dallas Mavericks aren't taking the opportunity in front of them for granted. Jason Kidd would never allow them to do that. Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki have the Mavericks two wins from the Western Conference Finals (Getty Images). The Mavericks return to Dallas tonight for Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals with a 2-0 lead and home court for the next two games. But their opponent is still the reigning NBA champion Lakers, a team that knows better than anyone how to win in the postseason. So Jason has warned his teammates to keep pushing: "We've got two wins, but this is the defending champs, two times," Jason told TNT's Inside the NBA after Game 2. "They've been down in a series [before] and they always have found a way to win. We haven't accomplished anything. We know we have to win four games to move on and we think they're going to give us everything they have in Game 3." J-Kidd has been in a similar situation in the postseason as the Lakers face now and said the mindset from that standpoint is simple: "Just get one," he said. "Start with getting one and then work from there. Once you get one, you can relax a little and it tends to put the pressure back on the team that has the lead. So that would be the mindset I'd be thinking is for the Lakers to get one and then that turns it into a series." The Mavs have yet to lose on their home court this postseason, but No. 2 also noted that being the home team is not something the Mavericks can use as a crutch in Game 3. Dallas tied for the fewest road losses in the NBA this season, losing just 13 of the 41 they played away from AAC. Just one loss behind them was Los Angeles, a team that J-Kidd said knows how to win anywhere: "They're the champs," he told the Dallas Morning News. "We saw them win in New Orleans in Game 3 (of the first round) to take control of that series. We got to be prepared for that. "They feel they can win anywhere, home or road. We have to understand that. (We) got to act as if you're down 0-2 or it's 1-1. This is a big game for both teams. But you got to be aggressive and execute the game plan and be patient, not in a hurry, but understand this is a situation we got to win." One thing that has allowed the Mavericks to perform so well so far this postseason has been their depth. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle has been able to limit the minutes of his players, with only two having gone over the 40-minute mark in a game (Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry both did in Game 3 of the first round). Meanwhile the Mavs' bench play has been phenomenal. The Dallas reserves are averaging, as a unit, 34.6 points per game this postseason. They've won the bench scoring battle in six of the Mavs' eight games, outscoring opponents bench players by 14.6 points per game. While most teams limit their rotations to three bench players in the playoffs, Carlisle has enjoyed utilizing his talented group of reserves. The Mavs have gone four-deep into their bench in every game this postseason and have played at least five guys off the bench in four of their eight games. "We feel we're a deep team. We've got 12-13 guys that can play," No. 2 told TNT's Inside the NBA. "JJ [Barea] was great. He was a spark [in Game 2]. He's a guy that can cut to the basket, find guys and also he can score. He might be small in stature but he's got a big heart. He turned the game around for us with the pick and roll. We use Dirk as the honey and JJ got to the paint, penetrated, found open guys. He made all the right plays and we're going to need that from our bench. We do rely on our bench a lot to win games." That depth, Jason said, has allowed the Mavericks to keep their composure and cool down when it's needed. It's another way that the Mavericks have rid themselves of the "soft" label so frequently placed on them. "We're a veteran ballclub and we felt that, in the past, mentally, we lost it. You can look back to Game 1 [of this series]. At the end of the second quarter we kind of lost it and gave up a run of 12-2. With two minutes left they took a nine-point lead. We talked about that and that we have to keep our composure mentally and be mentally tough." Those around the Mavericks believe Dallas newfound mental toughness comes from J-Kidd, as Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas writes: "J-Kidd set the tone for us, saying, 'We're all right,'" Mavs assistant coach Dwane Casey said. "I think Tyson's enthusiasm is contagious, but it really starts with Jason. He's just mentally tough. He's seen everything. He's been there before and the guys feed off of him." Kidd's steadiness so far has been aided by Carlisle's flawless management of his minutes with an assist from hard-charging backup guard J.J. Barea, who took over Game 2 in the fourth while Kidd sat for the first six minutes. Kidd is the Mavs' third-leading scorer in the playoffs, averaging 11 points, up three from his regular-season average. His 3-point percentage, critical to the Mavs' offensive efficiency and potency, is 38.8 percent, up from 34.0 percent. He's dictating pace with an offense that has been mostly crisp and a step ahead of a frustrated Lakers defense. "He's just been providing incredible leadership," Chandler said. "He's a floor general. He always makes the perfect play at the right time. He understands what time it is for him. In his career, it's that time for him to put it all out there." The time is now, the Mavericks feel, to make their run at that elusive NBA title and according to J-Kidd, that's the way to change public perception: "As much as everybody will say 'Dallas is soft,' we just try to play our game," he said. "You can't change [what people think]. But to win a championship, there's no soft team that's ever won a championship." --

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