DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd collected his 2,515th career steal midway through the second quarter of Monday's 89-73 win, passing Michael Jordan to become No. 2 on the NBA's all-time steals list.

The 18-year veteran intercepted a pass from Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen as he drove the lane and got caught in no-man's land. The steal led to a Dirk Nowitzki basket.

"Well because Mike is everybody's idol, he played both ends of the court," Kidd said about passing Jordan. "Just being able to pass him in something is an honor in itself. When you talk about defense, he played both sides of the ball. (John) Stockton and Jordan are the two best at what they do. When you talk about guards, those two are the best all-time."

Kidd finished the game with three steals, bringing his career total to 2,517.

"I've just been in the right place at the right time, understanding guys' tendencies, watching film early on in my career and just been lucky to be in the league long enough to get in the way of some passes," Kidd said.

Kidd, who came into the game leading the Mavs with a 1.68-steals-per-game average, has at least one steal in each of his last nine games (excluding the Jan. 27 game when he injured his right calf and left after just two minutes). In his three previous games, Kidd had eight steals, including three Sunday in a loss to the Knicks.

So many of Kidd's thefts have come as a result of pure anticipation and instinct, understanding where an opposing player wants to go with the basketball before he does and then ambushing the play.