In the most important game in Clippers‘ history, the hero was a second-year swingman whose name may be unfamiliar to most NBA fans, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. Terance Mann scored a career-high 39 points in Friday’s close-out win over the Jazz, connecting on 15-of-21 shots from the field and 7-of-10 from three-point range.
Mann, who played a combined 9:10 in the first two games of the series, sparked the L.A. comeback Friday with 20 points in the third quarter as the Clippers advanced to the conference finals for the first time in franchise history. His shooting success enabled coach Tyronn Lue to stick with a smaller lineup that left Utah scrambling to defend the perimeter.
“When you trust your work, you trust in yourself,” Mann said, “you’re not surprised when any of this happens.”
There’s more on the Clippers:
- There’s still hope that injured forward Kawhi Leonard can rejoin the team sometime during the conference finals, but Lue said he’s preparing to go through the series without him, tweets Mark Medina of USA Today. Leonard, who injured his knee on Monday, didn’t travel with the team to Phoenix and has been ruled out of Sunday’s Game 1. “We can’t have hypotheticals and think he’s coming back one game,” Lue said. “No. We have to prepare like he’s not playing, and just kind of go from there.”
- Paul George enjoyed his first playoff game with a capacity crowd in his hometown of Los Angeles, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Last year’s postseason took place at the Disney World complex in Orlando, and COVID-19 restrictions prevented the Clippers from filling their arena until Friday night. “This was my first time experiencing a crowd like this,” George said. “It was just a special night. You felt it, the cheers, the excitement. You felt the monkey off of the Clippers’ back in terms of getting out of the second round.”
- Josh Robbins of The Athletic talks to an anonymous coach, scout, and executive from the Western Conference and gets a split decision in their predictions for the conference finals.
Bye Nets!! Super team my ass! Kyrie enjoy your summer vacation.. oh wait you’ve been on vacation all year long clown!
You made a super team and then give It to a no-experience coach.
Great move!
Great move take KD Always on the court, 53 minutes, and injured Harden 50.
No rest for them, less quality for you, great job Steve!
ive heard just as many people who like the players as who think Nash is some wizard on the bench. both are a tad overrated in my mind.
Blake and the fat bearded will never win a ship!! I love it
Why do you love it?
Someone check on Wally. Fat Harden was nowhere to be found in OT I feel for KD. Dude put a warrior (zero pun intended) type performance in a G7 after a torn Achilles.
Harden is gone from the Rockets so Wally now pretends he didn’t have a fathead of the beard in his bedroom for the past decade.
I’ve always been here, never disappeared. I am happy for PJ Tucker though.
The Lakers would be lucky to have a PG half as good as Harden right now.
Harden suxx. Came into year out of shape. Then couldn’t get in shape all yr. Game shape is not losing 30 LBs. That’s not a HOFer that’s a diva. He will never get a ring. And the Bucks suxx as much. KD is only true star here. All others are wannabees. CP3 is guy Rockets should of kept. He and Russ would of got Rockets to Finals. When will we learn Basketball is a 2way sport.
You think James Harden sucks at basketball? You think he’s not a HOFer or even a star? These are things you believe?
Excatly 100%. I wouldn’t vote for a one way player. Go learn swimming. Or ice skating. They do t care about your D.
Lakers are rent free in your head. Nobody is even discussing them in the comment section LMAO
They take up so much space in his head it isn’t even funny
Mann truly had a gm for the ages. Saved the Clippers. No Kawhi their run is over. Clippers have no luck. Gods are against them. This has been a strange yr. I like the unpredictability.
The player might be unknown, but his name isn’t unfamiliar to any fan of Field of Dreams. Best James Earl Jones character ever.
Peace, love, dope! Now get the hell outta here!
how do you do, I’m the easter bunny
My God! Your from the sixties! Back, back to the sixties
Nash did a great job, injuries beat him!
I mean when you have legends like Harden & KD you would be beyond idiotic to not play them 53 minutes… I most certainly would!
Star players in the playoff can’t play less than 40 minutes minimum.
Kevin Durant has taken the crown for the best player in the game – Just remarkable play that series, super impressed
No shame for these NETS. As with other teams in these playoffs, injuries played a huge part.
NETS traded their depth to be top-heavy, having their Big 3 ……. lose any of them, they’ll be short-handed.
Still the NETS had their chances, the gravity pull of KD and a one-legged Harden, still got Blake, Jeff and Joe Harris plenty of open shots.
Joe Harris choked ala Peja Stojakovic circa 2002 WCF with this series …….. Harris was awful these series.
Indeed , good summarization
I think a lot of people owe Kris Middelton an apology as well probably tomorrow morning
No Harris is awful. Sxrew him. Trade him for a bag of chips and sign 40 year old Kyle korver.
KD was the only guy who scared the sh*t out of me when he had the ball. Tucker defended him with gusto but the height mismatch was too much. KD was series MVP. Most Disappointing Player (MDP) was Jrue Holiday. While he didn’t have me pining for Bledsoe I wanted connaughton shooting not him. He needs to pick up his offense for MIL to win it all.
They’re in a good position right now to take it all. I would think Milwaukee can handle either Philly or Atlanta pretty easily. The west wow who knows? I’m still sticking with the Clippers but wouldn’t be surprised either way at all.
I can see the sixers beat the bucks.
Suns will beat clippers.
Sixers-Suns Finals.
Suns will be the world champ!
whose barkley rooting for then?
Not impressed with anyone in East. All are flawed. Suns and Clippers best TEAMS if 100%. Unfortunately we don’t know the answer to that. So it seems pretty? wide open now. Suns with Chris missing one game probably favs now. But all have legitimate shot. We probably haven’t seen that in awhile. Let’s see who wants it. Now that al The Big Noise … is OVER
Most championship runs you have a guy that has a game or two and wins you a game. Mann has looked good, hes a high energy guy. He reminds me of Maxey same kind of energy. Clippers are lucky the inked him to a 3 yr deal instead of a 2 yr deal. If he can carryover into the next season he will be in line for a nice pay bump.
He’s controlled at or about minimum for 2 more years. Signed for 3/1 (club option). Not luck, they used cap space to sign him.
Just wondering if anyone still has anything to say to me about me talking about Terance Mann…
In the regular season, MIL swept PHI but PHI never had both Simmons or Embiid at the same time. ATL took 2 of 3 from MIL. Either way, Jrue needs to step up offensively or MIL won’t make the finals.
You right Jrue has been beyond godawful in the playoffs, I wish Donte was playin’ & Jrue the one injured, guy sucks!
Jrue will be kept busy by Trae… and John Collins should be able to figure out GA. And then people should start lauding Tony Ressler yikes.