In his 19-year playing career, Jason Kidd suited up against the team he now coaches, the Milwaukee Bucks, in nearly 50 games.

Dallas Mavericks v Milwaukee Bucks

J-Kidd baffled the Bucks several times, recording a few triple-doubles and even a 30-point game—but perhaps the most memorable matchup came early in the 2009-2010 season, on November 16, 2009. It was a tilt that culminated with Jason pulling teammate Dirk Nowitzki to the hardwood in celebration on Milwaukee’s home floor.

It was a quintessential performance from Kidd and Dirk—the same type of performance that would help the duo win the NBA title just one season later. Jason doled out 17 dimes and was one point shy of a triple-double. He finished the night with nine points, 17 assists and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Nowitzki shot the lights out for a game-high 32 points.

Dirk

The final two of Dirk’s points and the final one of Jason’s 17 assists led to that Dallas dogpile in Milwaukee. Afterward, Kidd praised his team’s perseverance as the Mavs came back to win after giving up an 18-point third-quarter lead.

“This is a big win,” Jason said. “We’ve given some away and tonight, it was kind of looking like that. But we stayed involved and made some plays down the stretch.”

With the game tied in overtime at the Bucks’ BMO Harris Bradley Center, J-Kidd lofted an inbound pass over the Milwaukee defense and it found the hands of his 7’1″ German teammate. Nowitzki turned around and hoisted the final shot at the buzzer. The ball clanked off the back and front of the iron, bounced up and touched off the glass before falling straight down through the hoop.

“We want to get the ball to Dirk in those situations any time we can,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. “(Jason Kidd) made a great pass. They were draped all over him. They played great defense and he just hit a better, more difficult shot. That’s what great players do. They defended it as well as you can defend it.”

Whether it was “shooter’s touch” or just a lucky roll, the Mavs walked away with a 115-113 overtime victory.

“Great catch because they were both fighting,” Jason said of his inbound pass. “

[Dirk] made a heck of a catch and then from there he does what he does, that’s making baskets. He’s been doing it for us all season and his whole career.”

J-Kidd helped Nowitzki get off to a great start. No. 2 dished out seven dimes in the first quarter, including assists on Dirk’s first two buckets. Jason also buried a three in the first, as Dallas built a five-point lead going into the second.

The 36-year-old Kidd had his hands full defensively on the night, as he was matched up with speedy 20-year-old rookie Brandon Jennings. The Bucks guard did his best to keep pace early, notching four points and three assists in the first.

Dallas Mavericks v Milwaukee Bucks

Jennings added two more assists in the second, but that frame belonged to J-Kidd and the Mavs. Jason added three more dimes to his totals and knocked down yet another trifecta at the end of the quarter, which gave Dallas a 12-point lead at the break.

After 10 first-half assists, Jason tallied four more in the third and hit his third triple in four attempts from deep on the night. However, it was the Bucks who let loose from deep in the third. Milwaukee rained down seven threes in the third, including a 29-footer by Jennings at the buzzer to cut the Mavs cushion, which had swelled to 18, to just three.

The Bucks rally continued in the fourth, guided by 13 points from Jennings. In the final minute, the MIL guard hit a free-throw and a running jumper to give the Bucks a two-point lead. The Mavs got a boost on the other end from Jason Terry, who hit the equalizing bucket to force overtime.

Dallas Mavericks v Milwaukee Bucks

In the extra period, the teams continued back-and-forth, until Jason found himself with the ball in his hands for an inbound with just three seconds left and the game tied. No. 2 was looking for Dirk all the way, and eventually found the lengthy forward in traffic. Dallas’ big man pulled down J-Kidd’s lob and looked off Luc Richard Mbah a Moute to will in the game-winner.

“I thought it was going straight in. The bounce was obviously lucky,” said Nowitzki. “When it bounced up, it seemed like it was up there forever. We got a lucky bounce and we definitely needed it.”

The Bradley Center went silent while Kidd and Co. celebrated on the court.

But now, less than five years after engineering a heartbreaking loss for the Bucks, Jason will be looking to bring the party to the other side of the floor.

RELATED ARTICLES