PLAYA VISTA — The approach to a Game 5, even without one of your best players, can be viewed in many ways.
“I think at 2-2, it’s kind of like nothing’s really happened yet, even though a lot has,” Clippers reserve center Mason Plumlee said Tuesday. “It’s 0-0 and it’s the best-of-three now.”
Coach Tyronn Lue agreed with Plumlee’s assessment of the status of the Clippers’ first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks that resumes Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. The Clippers evened the series at two games a piece with their 116-111 victory Sunday.
“Two out of three. Best two out of three, and we got two games at home, so just coming out to try to take care of business tomorrow,” Lue said before practice. “It’s the first one to two wins, so we have put ourselves in a good position to come back home and have home-court advantage again.”
Terance Mann, though, took on a different perspective of Game 5. He said there is a “big difference” between being 0-0 and 2-2.
“Because you’re two losses closer to being eliminated. So, you know, 0-0, you got four to go. 2-2, you don’t have that much, you know, leeway,” Mann said.
After it was pointed out that the Clippers are also two away from going to the next round, Mann didn’t back away from his opinion.
“I look at it the other way. To stay hungry,” he said.
Whichever way the Clippers choose to look at it, gaining the advantage in the series is going to take the same level of aggressiveness, toughness and belief that enabled them to hold off the Mavs, who, behind Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, overcame a 31-point deficit in Game 4. The team also will not have Kawhi Leonard again as he remains sidelined because of inflammation in his right knee, which places much of the burden on James Harden.
Harden has stepped up his game in Leonard’s absence. In Game 4, he made five consecutive short-range shots in the final minutes and finished with 33 points, six rebounds and seven assists to combat Dallas’ two-pronged attack of Doncic and Irving, who combined for 43 points in the second half.
Irving, who didn’t score his first basket until the Clippers had built their substantial lead, finished with 40 points on 12-of-15 shooting.
“It shows heart. It shows grit. It shows what we’re about,” Mann said. “That’s tough. Being on the road, being up that much, giving up the lead. They take the lead and then we still come out with a win in the playoffs in Dallas.”
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Besides the spectacular play of Harden and Paul George, Mann said the team was able to withstand the second-half barrage Sunday because of the support they got from the veterans, such as Russell Westbrook, P.J. Tucker, George and Harden.
“(When Dallas) came back, some of the young guys were kind of getting quiet, hanging their heads and not cheering anymore. And those guys just were vocal about it,” Mann said. “Like, you know, this happens. They are going to make shots. They got Kyrie Irving. You know what I’m saying. One of the best scorers of all time. So, you know (they told us to) stay locked in, stick with it. And James and PG took over. Did what they had to do.”
Game 5: Dallas at Clippers (series tied 2-2)
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV: TNT
