"That Dallas point guard Jason Kidd is playing this well at 38 is a marvel to some. But as he prepares for his third shot at an NBA title, he can reach back and share his experiences from playing in back-to-back Finals with New Jersey in 2002 and 2003, though the Nets lost both series.

"The first one was just happy to be there and we got swept 4-love by the Lakers," Kidd said Saturday after practice. "In the second, just understand how important it is to protect home. With the 2-3-2 format, we had a split in San Antonio and then didn't protect home. … You've got to protect home.""