They say opportunity is everything....and Terance Mann is certainly making the most of his.
Just a few days after the LA Clippers sent bench scorer Lou Williams to Atlanta in a trade for Rajon Rondo, there left a void in the second unit, but Mann is showing why that spot should belong to him.
The second-year guard turned in a highlight-filled performance against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring a season-high 23 points off the bench on a near-perfect shooting night as the Clippers extended their win streak to five games with a 122-112 victory at STAPLES Center.
Mann buried his first eight shots of the game, finishing 10-of-12 from the field and 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, providing that scoring punch that Williams made his own over recent seasons in LA.
0.5 on the shot clock, Terance Mann catches and shoots in one motion to beat it!
— NBA (@NBA) March 28, 2021
LAC up 3 on NBA TV: https://t.co/VexAprpikW pic.twitter.com/yiJBlZLTMf
"I'm just doing what I do, it's just basketball," Mann said post-game. "I'm just taking the shots that I work on, I been working on it and shooting it well, so just keep doing that and play my game."
He added three rebounds and one assist on the night, with his lone dime a memorable no-look pass to Nic Batum for a layup.
No-look dime from Terance Mann to Nic Batum on NBA TV!@sixers 84@LAClippers 97
— NBA (@NBA) March 28, 2021
➡️: https://t.co/VexAprpikW pic.twitter.com/8LPEJFaiGD
"[He was] attacking the paint, making plays for himself and others," Kawhi Leonard said of Mann's impressive performance. "With him it's starting with defence, coming out bringing energy, getting in passing lanes, rebounding and he's just giving is a spark off that bench"
Terance Mann drives baseline and stuffs it home!
— NBA (@NBA) March 28, 2021
21 PTS, 9-10 FGM for Mann on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/VLc94YjPCB
During the Clippers' five-game win streak, Mann is averaging 15.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 57.4 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from the 3-point line in 27.4 minutes per game.
His previous season-high came on Monday in their second game of the win streak against the Atlanta Hawks where he was instrumental in erasing a 20-point deficit, scoring 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting in a 119-110 win.
📊 21 PTS / 10 REB / 2 AST@terance_mann brought instant energy and scored a season-high. pic.twitter.com/ToEvfyycaK
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) March 23, 2021
In tonight's win over the 76ers, Leonard led the Clippers with 28 points, while Paul George added 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, continuing his impressive playmaking this season as he expertly navigated pick-and-rolls, found teammates for open looks and kept the ball moving all night as they racked up 26 assists on 45 made field goals.
George is averaging a career-high 5.5. assists per game this season, with tonight his fifth game of 2020-21 with nine or more assists. On nights when their two stars are firing and they can get a big scoring performance from the bench, the Clippers are a tough team to beat for anyone.
Former Clipper Tobias Harris led the 76ers with 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists and despite the loss, they remain at the top of the Eastern Conference at 32-14, 1.0 game up of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Clippers will look to extend their win streak to six games when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday (ET) at STAPLES Center.
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