Jason Kidd remained tight-lipped about his strategy in the absence of Kyrie Irving, emphasizing the "next man up" mentality. He experimented with a new starting lineup featuring Luka Doncic, Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes, Maxi Kleber, and Dereck Lively II. Despite the changes, the Mavericks struggled, suffering a fourth consecutive loss. Kidd acknowledged the team's defensive miscommunication and the need for adjustments moving forward, while noting that the new lineup provided energy and spacing, though it ultimately fell short without Irving's offensive capabilities.