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Mavs 111, Hawks 103: The Genius Of Jason Kidd, As Described By, Among Others, Del Harris
Kidd's Purposeful Collision With Atlanta Coach Shows Brains, Takes Guts
By Mike Fisher -- DB.com

Try to follow along here, because this is as unusual as it is complicated:
Friday in Atlanta, with 1:37 left in regulation, Jason Kidd intentionally bumped into Hawks coach Al Roker. … er, Hawks coach Mike Woodson. Woodson was on the floor at the time of the collision, which is technically illegal on Woodson’s part. That gave Dallas a free throw, part of a run that allowed the Mavs to overcome a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit and win 111-103 in overtime, for the Mavs’ sixth consecutive victory.
The play was vintage Kidd BBIQ … and ESPN’s John Hollinger, attending the game, writes that it’s so clever unusual for a player to crash into a coach that the last time anybody can remember it happening, head coach Del Harris was involved.
And as it all happened … as Kidd was intentionally bumping into Woodson … guess who I was intentionally bumping into?
That’s right. Friend-of-DB.com Del Harris.
“Well,’’ Del told me as we watched the game together in Frisco, “that’s just genius. Genius.’’
Virtually everything the Mavs did in this challenging bout between West and East contenders was genius. Dallas dictated pace early, storming ahead by 10 after the first period before settling for a 50-all tie at the half. The Mavs played without Caron Butler (a continuing negative reaction to medication) but still got offensive production from Dirk Nowitzki (37 points) on down. The Mavs shot 53 percent as Jason Terry scored 17 off the bench. Joining him from there was JJ Barea (eight points, six assists, five rebounds). Brendan Haywood recorded another double-double (11/11, with three blocks). Shawn Marion was high-percentage inside with 14 points.

When it was all over, the Mavs had won their Western Conference-best 19th road game, had vaulted to 38-21, and had that season-best six-game win streak.

But the hero of the night was Kidd, who has been terrific in all seven games since the All-Star Break and the Wizards trade (his scoring numbers: 12, 10, 10, 18, 21, 14 and now 19). Here he outplayed everybody on the floor (19 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds gives him his 104th triple-double of his career, third most behind only Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson) … and on one occasion outplayed one guy who wasn’t supposed to be on the floor.
''The coach is not supposed to be on the floor,'' Kidd said. ''You see that a lot in games. The NBA has so many rules, and there is a coaching box, and some of the coaches do stretch that box. For me, it's just a reaction. Make something happen. It was a big play for us. … I thought from there, mentally, we took control of the game.’’
(Sidebar Video: Kidd on NBA TV afterwards.)
It was rather odd to see Al Roker arguing with Kidd as he did. What was the Hawks coach’s point?
“He was talking like I tried to take him out,” said Kidd.
Yes, and that made Al Roker look ridiculous. What, like Kidd was going ape-shit, forgetting about the game itself, so he could Dick Butkus some coach? Really? Woodson thought this was some sort of Sharks-vs.-Jet knife fight?
Said Woodson, in his own lame defense: “(The official) said I was on the floor. I tried to move back and I was moving back and (Kidd) reached over the line and grabbed me.”
Sure, Weatherman. Kidd “grabbed you.’’ He tackled you, roundhoused kicked you, and then stole your lunch money. Really? (I'm still baffled by this: Does Al Roker not understand that ANYTHING KIDD MIGHT'VE DONE TO YOU IS LEGAL BECAUSE YOU CANNOT BE ON THE COURT!?)
What Kidd did was this: Record season-high-tying marks for assists and rebounds, notch his first triple-double of the year, and in the final 4:53 of regulation contribute four rebounds, three assists and one steal … oh, and in the final two minutes of regulation, he scored nine points.
“An all-time great performance,’’ Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "I've never seen a guy have this kind of impact on a game. You don't get winning streaks without special performances, like the one that Jason had. This was one for the ages. … "I don't know if there's ever been a smarter player in this league than Jason Kidd. There may be a few equals out there: Magic, Bird, Jordan."
“He made a heckuva play,’’ NBC weatherman Al Roker said. “He did what he had to do.’’
“The smartest basketball play I've ever in my career,’’ Terry said.
And John Hollinger’s take? Let’s go to it:

As near as anyone can tell, this was only the second time such a play had ever happened – the first coming when Milwaukee coach Del Harris collided with Denver guard Michael Adams in 1991. That play, however, happened because Harris walked on to the court to protest a call; Adams never intended to cross paths with him.
Really, I’m a Mavs writer who leads a charmed life, because as Hollinger is typing these words about Kidd bumping into a coach and referencing the only other time “as near as anyone can tell’’ a player did such a thing … and that it involved Del Harris. …
I am sitting next to Del Harris.
Del, last seen as a Nets assistant but now back in Frisco ready to re-up as a D-League team exec, has 50 years of experience with this sort of thing. And, Hollinger is referencing him. So. …Del?
“Well, it’s unusual, but the refs got it right; the coach cannot be out there,’’ Harris told me as we reviewed the replay together. “It’s not only smart by Jason. It’s gutsy. It takes confidence to know you are right to do it, to know that the refs will have to acknowledge that you’re right.
“It’s genius, really.’’

http://www.dallasbasketball.com/fullColumn.php?id=2649