Dunleavy Knows Coach’s Absence Isn’t Always Bad

His counterpart called in sick Saturday night, but Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy laughed when asked whether he thought Don Nelson’s absence because of flu would alter the Dallas Mavericks’ run-and-gun strategy.

Dunleavy said the coaching staff, with assistants Del Harris and Donnie Nelson Jr., have been together a long time. “I don’t think they’re going to change the rotations and say, ‘This is the guy I really believe in [and] you haven’t been playing,’ ” Dunleavy said.

It’s rare for a coach to miss a game but not unprecedented.

“It happens every now and then,” Dunleavy said. “With the flu bug, you never know. I had it happen to me when I was with the Lakers [on] Christmas Day and we played the Clippers.

“I was sitting home sick as a dog, but we got the win.”

Of course.

*

Clipper forward Melvin Ely, who played three scoreless minutes in Friday night’s 99-85 loss at Houston, was unavailable because of flu. He watched Saturday’s game from his hotel room. Though he had been sick for several days, Ely never told anyone with the team, perhaps avoiding a five-game stint on the injured list. Instead, when Eddie House was activated Friday, Predrag Drobnjak was put on the injured list.... The Clippers plan to stay in Dallas another night before flying Monday to San Antonio, where they’ll wind up a three-game trip Tuesday night against the Spurs.