Urgency is Suns’ currency in Game 5

The Suns have once again groped their way back to even footing. A loss tonight to Dallas, while painful and disconcerting, won’t end their season. It’s a big game. Make that huge. But one way or another, it’s not the end of the world. Is there any way to keep that pertinent information away from the Phoenix dressing room before Game 5?

Can the Suns somehow simulate the desperation that brings out the best in them — while cleverly eluding them in any game where they can’t actually feel the ground shifting beneath their sneakers?

If so, the time is now.

A win over Dallas tonight would set up a close-out Game 6 in Phoenix on Saturday night and set the stage for the franchise’s first trip to the NBA Finals since 1993. But a Mavericks’ win pushes the Suns back against that oh-so comfy wall where they have seemingly lived for the last six weeks, needing both a Game 6 win and a Game 7 shocker in Dallas to keep their magical run going.

“This is a special moment, and it might be the only moment in your whole life where you have a chance to do something like this,” said Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni, repeating a mantra he delivered to his team before Wednesday’s practice. “If you ever have a Game 7, back-to-the-wall situation, (tonight) is it.

“This is not a Game 5; this is the one we want. Now if we don’t get it, we have Game 6 and you keep going on . . . but you have to mentally prepare for this as if it’s for all the marbles.”

That’s been easier said than done for the Suns. Guard Steve Nash, who has already gone to the mental whip several times to spur on his team, hopes the 106-86 rout over Dallas in Game 4 is a sign Phoenix is ready to impose its will on the Mavericks.

“It’s a matter of us finding a way to come ready to play, and that’s something we haven’t been great at,” said Nash, who had 21 points and seven assists in 33 efficient minutes in Game 4.

“It’s so important to find a way to make this like Game 4. We have to recreate the energy and the urgency that made us so effective.”

Don’t expect the Mavericks, who shot just 41 percent from the field in the last two games and appeared disorganized offensively in Tuesday’s 40-point second half, to cooperate.

With Dirk Nowitzki coming off his worst game of the season (11 points on 3-of-13 shooting) and Jason Terry still yet to break out in the series, the Dallas team that has won 70 games this season could resurface at any time.

“We’re not foolish enough to think ‘OK, they’re hurting now,’ ” D’Antoni said.

“They’ll come back with a vengeance. We have to understand they’re going to play as well as they can play, and we have to meet that.”

The Suns rode the emotions that came with the return of Raja Bell from a calf injury in Game 4, but the tangible returns were even more important. Bell’s addition allowed the Suns to play their three-guard alignment (Bell, Nash and Leandro Barbosa), which spread the floor, opened up the pick-and-roll and cleared the way for Barbosa’s 24-point, 10-for-13 shooting performance.

“That is one of, if not our best lineup,” D’Antoni said. “Without Raja we can’t go to it, and not having your best lineup on the court for 15-20 minutes a game . . . you’re going to lose something and I thought we did.”

Dallas had to take one of their three big men (DeSagana Diop) off the floor, which opened a path in the lane for Nash and especially Barbosa.

“There’s nothing they can do to script or prepare for (Barbosa’s) speed,” forward James Jones said.

“There’s no one on their team who can keep up with him. We play fast as it is, but he gives us a level nobody else can reach.”

D’Antoni agreed, repeating his boast that if the Suns bring their ‘A’ game, the Mavericks don’t have the horses to keep pace.

“I understand others don’t agree, but we think we can play better defense against teams than they can play against us,” he said.

“Dallas is a good defensive team, but we don’t think any good defense can stop us.”

But can the Suns run that fast without the breath of doom on their necks?

Their penchant for letdowns has been almost as uncanny as their flair for the dramatics in the clutch.

Constantly cheating death, however, can be a hazardous hobby.

“We know we have to win a game there and you don’t want to wait until Game 7,” said center Boris Diaw, who is averaging a hair under 25 points a game in the series.

“We don’t have the home court to fall back on this time. We know that. We can’t rely on that to pull us through.”