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Jason Kidd may have had the most effective pre-game motivational tool to wield in his career as he arrived in Toronto.

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The head coach of the Dallas Mavericks only had to utter the name “Max Strus” to grab and hold the attention of every member of his team.

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A night before arriving in Toronto, the Mavs lost a game to the Cleveland Cavaliers on a 59-foot Hail Mary from Strus, turning an almost certain win into a loss at the buzzer.

The Cavs shooter not only had the dagger that sank the Mavs for the hometown Cavs, he managed to pack four other three-pointers into a 67-second span in the final few minutes of the game just to ensure that prayer at the buzzer would be enough for the win.

With all that still fresh in their minds, the Mavs arrived in Toronto needing very little in the way of motivation.

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Asked if he considered 25 a milestone birthday he responded “I don’t know. I feel like 40.”

Truth be told, particularly with his old man change-of-pace game, and despite the ever-present wraps and bandages that cover his body, Doncic looks like a guy who could play well into his 40’s should he choose.

Credit the Raptors for keeping this one close as long as they did which turned out to be about three quarters, but this was a Mavericks’ team that was not going to be denied and they proved that with a 136-125 win snapping Toronto’s three-game winning streak in the process.

Doncic was doing Luca Doncic things particularly from a passing standpoint but not exclusively so.

The all-World Dallas standout finished with 30 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds, for a triple double.

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“Just a normal game,” Kidd said when asked about the Doncic outing. “Triple-double. He was really good. I guess 25 means he’s still going to be really good as he gets older here.”

Doncic’s backcourt mate Kyrie Irving was no slouch himself with 29 points.

Handling the three-point bombing duties for Dallas were the duo of P.J. Washington and Tim Hardaway Jr., who combined for nine on 19 attempts to keep Dallas in it early on when Toronto came out so strong.

The Raptors were led by Immanuel Quickley, who had a team-high 28 in the loss. Scottie Barnes, with 19, seven assists and 11 rebounds, had another strong game, as well as RJ Barrett, who added 26 points, six assists and five rebounds in a losing cause.

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Long before tipoff, the Raptors had already celebrated one win with the news that big man Jakob Poeltl’s ankle injury not only was minor, it wasn’t even going to cause him to miss a game.

Poeltl, who missed 11 games in January with a left ankle sprain, came out of Monday’s win in Indianapolis with another ankle issue.

The Raptors are rather light in the big man department these days and with Chris Boucher missing Wednesday’s game due to illness, they were even a little thinner in that department. Poeltl being able to go was a big deal for the Raptors.

Toronto will try to get another winning streak started Friday when they host Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.

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