Beating the Raptors isn’t the most impressive task, but Terance Mann being a huge part of it is important moving forward.
Paul George struggled offensively on Tuesday night. He was 5 of 15 from the field and only hit two shots from deep out of nine attempts.
The man who picked up the slack on the offensive side of the ball for George, however, was perfect. Terance Mann was a perfect 7 of 7 from the field, he knocked down his only three of the night, and was even a perfect 5 for 5 at the free throw line.
Mann only played 20 minutes, but made them count in every way. He had a steal on the other end, and per Clippers PR, he’s just the fifth player in Clipper history with 20 or more points off the bench with a 100% shooting percentage.
Mann wasn’t the only storyline, though. Ivica Zubac had a double-double and earned himself more playing time down the stretch here, and Rajon Rondo took three shots, all three-pointers, and nailed every one.
It wasn’t just Mann who proved that the Clippers have a more well-rounded roster than many may think coming into the postseason. When the Clips can blow a team out 115-96 without great play from one of their superstars, it shows that they can win in plenty of different ways.
Especially when Mann, who came into the contest averaging just 6.7 points per game impacts the game from the moment he stepped foot on the court.
Mann was always efficient this year. He hasn’t played a ton of minutes, but anybody who can shoot 48.9% from the field and 40.9% (both entering the game) from behind the arc is a valuable roster spot on an NBA bench.
Many expect the Clippers to maintain their number three seed heading into the playoffs, but role players off the bench see these last few games as an opportunity to earn more playing time when it matters this upcoming summer.
Mann took advantage of his opportunity, and other bench players should take note. In a season where the Clippers have dealt with tons of crippling injuries, everybody needs to be available to show up and show out.