Mavericks’ PJ Washington breaks silence on Paul George stealing his pose

So did George’s decision to steal Washington’s pose add any motivation for the Mavericks forward?

“No, not at all, it’s just part of the playoffs,” Washington said. “I mean, If you do stuff, you gotta be able to watch them do it as well. For me, it’s about next-game mentality. I’m just happy to be out there and contribute to my team.”

Washington was later asked if he’s been surprised at how viral his pose has become since Game 3.

“Yeah, when I did that I didn’t expect it to be how it is now,” Washington said. “I mean, it is what it is. For me, I’m just out there trying to have fun playing basketball and doing what I can to help my team. But yeah, I definitely didn’t expect it to be this much.”

Washington even said he’s seen some t-shirts of the pose.

“I think it’s all funny. For me, my phone is still blowing up about it… It’s just fun, it’s just apart of the game for me. I just love to go out there and show my emotion.”

PJ Washington’s pose helped Mavericks in Game 3, and it could play role moving forward

Could a pose actually help a playoff team? With fans also doing the pose and Washington’s teammates having his back, it could become a rally cry of sorts. Perhaps we may even get another PJ Washington pose before the series is over.

Washington is focused on doing everything he can to help the Mavericks win games. He also likes to show emotion on the floor. Washington is thankful that his teammates have fully supported the moment.

“It means the world to me,” Washington said of his teammates supporting the pose. “Obviously having a group of guys like this, being able to go out there and fight for them and they are fighting for me as well. For them to be able to have my back is me just being a happy teammate and just feel good about it.”

In the end, Dallas will need to take care of business from a basketball standpoint first. Fortunately, the Mavs are focused and ready to go for Game 5. If they can win on Wednesday in Los Angeles, the Mavericks will have the opportunity to earn a series victory on Friday at home.

It will be interesting to see if the Mavericks can start Game 5 strong after they struggled to open Game 4. Finding more consistency from beyond the arc will be of the utmost importance as well, as the Mavs shot just over 33 percent from deep on Sunday.

The fifth game of the series is scheduled for 10 PM EST on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.