Rebounds – yes, rebounds – plus Hardy’s win over the Jazz in a fuel-burning season

LOS ANGELES. Perhaps it was the news that Kyrie Irving had moved to the Mavericks that sparked a monster night for Jaden Hardy in a 124-111 Utah Jazz win on Monday night at the Vivint Arena.

Hardy had a season-best 29 points and largely fueled the Mavericks’ frustration at the Jazz, along with Josh Green, who tied Hardy in points.

The second-round rookie said he was excited about the Irving trade, at least in part because he was trying to model his game after the eight-time All-Star the Mavericks traded on Monday.

“Kyrie is a guy I watched a lot growing up,” said Hardy, 10 years younger than 30-year-old Irving. “The pace at which he plays, the way he completes the circle around the basket, is acrobatic. There are many things that make it so special.

“My first thought (of the deal) is that it will be scary with him and LD. We have a goal and that is to win the championship, so I feel that his arrival will help us a lot.”

The same will happen to Hardy if he continues to play the way he did against the Jazz when he and Green became the first Mavericks under-23s to score 25 points in the same game. The last couple to do so were Jason Kidd and Jamal Mashburn in 1995.

Kidd was impressed with the progress Hardy made in his first six months as an NBA player. Mistakes will be made, as is always the case with young players.

But Kidd admitted he had to let Hardy grow.

“Hardy’s potential, the plan to bring him in, it’s working,” Kidd said. “And we’ll have to give him a few minutes here. The way he plays, his maturity on the court, his understanding of how to get to the basket. He gives us something we don’t have, and that’s speed.”

Here are other takeaways from the shorthanded victory over Utah:

LET’S PHYSICALLY: The Mavericks not only outscored the Jazz, but also crushed them on the boards, 49–37. Dwight Powell grabbed 16 rebounds. The Mavericks doubled the Jazz on second-chance points 24–12, and their work off the board helped start a fast break as they scored 27 in a transition to four at the Jazz. And everyone got carried away with the aggressive mentality in the paint. “There was a game in the first half where (5-11 McKinley) Wright boxed (7-1 Walker) Kessler,” Kidd said. “I thought that the physical possibilities for us were at their best, no matter how small we were. We talked about it before the game: can we be physical? We felt like we weren’t playing physically in the Golden State game (Saturday). Can we be the ones who strike first and not the ones who return the blow? The answer after Monday was a resounding yes.

NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR GREEN: While he has steadily stepped up his role this season, Green now has a terrific chance of getting even more responsibility for the Mavericks. The trade of Dorian Finney-Smith, the Mavericks’ top defenseman, means someone will inherit the job of guarding the best winger or defenseman on the opposing team. This someone could be Green. “The only way you can really be ready is to do it and keep doing it,” the third-year swingman said of increased defense responsibility. “So for me, when I get the first opportunity to do it, just take it. I know that I will make mistakes. I am a young player. But I know that I will give 100 percent to protect this player. I also learned a lot from Dow seeing how he guards these players.”

START THE FUN: The Mavericks were able to spark the Kyrie Irving era before he even got here. After surviving a game without Luka Doncic for the first time this season (they are 1-7 when he’s not playing), the Mavericks’ confidence should skyrocket as Irving and Markieff Morris are likely to debut for the Mavs on Wednesday. against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Twitter: @ESefko