Coach’s Out, but No In

For the second time in a little more than a week and the second time in their last three trips to Dallas, the Clippers will take on a team playing without its coach when they line up tonight against the Dallas Mavericks.

Don Nelson was scheduled for shoulder surgery today, with assistant Avery Johnson set to take over while Nelson recuperates.

Last season, the Clippers won at Dallas when Nelson was absent because of flu. Last week, they defeated the Seattle SuperSonics at Staples Center while Nate McMillian was in North Carolina for a funeral.

Clipper Coach Mike Dunleavy, however, said his team did not necessarily hold an advantage because Nelson would be elsewhere tonight.

“The coach has nothing to do with what’s [happening] on the floor; he’s not playing,” Dunleavy said. “The coach has to do with play calls, sets, coverages. [As the opposing coach], you may not have as good an idea with a new guy, what he’s going to run at certain times. You might have a better book on the old coach.”

Johnson is expected to run the Mavericks for about three weeks, including another game against the Clippers on Monday night at Staples Center.

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Pat Garrity, treasurer of the NBA Players Assn. and the Orlando Magic’s player representative, told USA Today that a union poll showed that 80% of the players say they are prepared to sit out next season if labor talks continue to stall.

“I think that sounds about right,” said Elton Brand, the Clippers’ player representative. “Guys should be prepared because it’s real.”

Said teammate Mikki Moore, who in the last three seasons has played for five NBA teams and had two stints in the National Basketball Development League: “I’m just now getting back to where I want to be, so I definitely don’t want to sit out a year, but it’s all for the good of the players. They know what they’re doing. I’ve been stacking my money. You’ve always got to prepare for the worst.”

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TONIGHT

at Dallas, 5:30 PST, Channel 5

Site -- American Airlines Arena.

Radio -- XTRA (690/1150).

Records -- Clippers 18-20, Mavericks 24-12.

Record vs. Mavericks (2003-04) -- 2-2.

Update -- With averages of 27.2 points and 10 rebounds, Maverick forward Dirk Nowitzki was one of only two players who ranked among the NBA’s top 10 in scoring and rebounding before Wednesday’s games. The other was Kevin Garnett.