Patrick Beverley not expected to play in Game 5

As of now, it looks like the Clippers will be without Patrick Beverley yet again in Game 5 Tuesday night. After playing in the first game of the series, he hasn’t played since with a left calf strain.

“I haven’t heard one thing that he may play,” head coach Doc Rivers said to the media on Monday. “That doesn’t mean he might not. Right now I’m not planning on it, and so because of that, we have to make tough choices at the end of every game. That’s just the way it is.”

There’s no question that Beverley’s absence has been felt on the defensive side of the ball, as the Mavericks have been able to score at will all series long against the Clippers. In addition to his defense, you wonder if the Clips would have blown a 21-point lead with him on the court, or what he could have done on some crucial defensive possessions late in the game.

“He’s a big part of our defense, there’s no doubt about that,” Rivers added. “He’s the voice for sure. I mean, he’s one of the loudest guys just talking schemes, and he does great homework, and we’ve given him the ability to do that, but we don’t have him. I’ve never worried about that.

“Listen, it would be great to have him. We obviously could use him. But we don’t have him. I don’t ever worry about the guys that aren’t on the floor. We’ve just got to get the guys on the floor right.”