LA CLIPPERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

April 24, 2023

Terance Mann

Press Conference

Q. How are you guys preparing for tomorrow, knowing that it's an elimination game and the season could be over if you lose?

TERANCE MANN: Just figuring out a game plan to win this game, clean up a few things that we think we need to do I think defensively to give ourselves a chance to win.

Q. Different feeling going into tomorrow's game at all?

TERANCE MANN: Than what?

Q. Than the usual, any of the previous games.

TERANCE MANN: Not really. Not for me at least.

Q. How do you see -- we keep asking about your role, but it's relevant, I guess. Obviously you've got to be prepared for anything on both ends of the floor; how are you approaching what you've done this series and feel like you should be able to do more of or need to focus on more in particular?

TERANCE MANN: I don't know. I really don't know how to answer that question. I think I've just got to be a little bit better defensively and bring a little bit more energy on the offensive end to give us a better chance at winning these games.

Q. When you say you've got to be better defensively, does that mean creating more havoc? Does it mean being more physical?

TERANCE MANN: Yeah, I think just creating more havoc. I think I'm pretty good at that, so just creating more havoc and just being smarter.

Q. Mason had mentioned how hard it is to have an offense that's based around PG and Kawhi and have those guys off. What do you feel like you guys can do to make this a winnable offense to actually steal a game?

TERANCE MANN: Yeah, I think we can do exactly what we did, I want to say, was it last fourth quarter? The last two fourth quarter games I think we found something, we found a way to play, and I think if we continue to play like that while being smart on the defensive end, we'll give ourselves a good shot to win the game.

Q. What do you think is key to sustaining that?

TERANCE MANN: I think just being conscious of how we need to play. Like keep reiterating it, talking about it in the huddles, and just playing like it.

Q. What do you make of the multiple-guard lineups struggling in the regular season and then in the fourth quarter you guys are outscoring them by like eight or ten points last two fourth quarters?

TERANCE MANN: Yeah, that just happens, man. I guess that just happens. I don't know why we struggled with it in the regular season. I thought it was going to be pretty good for us. But at least it's good for us now when we need it the most.

Q. You've been used to injuries and things popping up since you've been here, but has this season felt like there were just so many more curve balls than even what you guys were used to dealing with?

TERANCE MANN: For sure the most curve ball season I've been a part of here in my four years here at least, for sure, other than the bubble, obviously.

Q. How difficult was that just to constantly have to adapt?

TERANCE MANN: It was difficult. It wasn't an easy thing for everybody. But we got through it. We found ourselves into a 5 seed through all the different curve balls, found ourselves in the playoffs. We picked up Russell, which was a great pickup for us. We came with some life.

Q. You've been accustomed to a lot of these changes, not just this year but previous years. But you're going to battle with half a rotation that wasn't in training camp with you guys. I know the energy from last year was let's bring everybody back and figure this out. Knowing that that didn't work, that it changed so much, you're still here, how have you kind of seen those new guys come together and now you're in a position where you've got to make it work this week?

TERANCE MANN: Yeah, I think just our coaching staff made them feel welcome, gave them strong significant roles right away once they got here, and that kind of helped them figure out what they needed to bring to the team.

I think the last couple months with them having those roles, we've got to muster up something to figure out what we're going to do tomorrow.

Yeah, you know, those guys just had to figure it out, and they did, and they did a good job of it.

Q. How have you not allowed yourselves to be demoralized or has it been demoralizing to go through the injury luck you've had the last couple weeks?

TERANCE MANN: I mean, there's nothing you can really do about it. I think a lot of these guys know that, and you're kind of used to that when you're in the NBA, just things happen, and you've got to adapt and move on.

Q. Phoenix is shooting about 50 percent from the mid range in the series. Obviously they have great mid-range shooters and it's part of you guys' game plan to drive them into those shots. Can it get a tad frustrating when the process of things isn't yielding the type of results that you would like, that they're still getting to that point?

TERANCE MANN: Yeah, for sure. They're shooting it great. They have three guys who love those shots, and it's not easy when they're feeling themselves and they're hitting them.

Yeah, it's not an easy thing to do.

Q. Is there anything else you think can be done to get more looks from the foul line?

TERANCE MANN: No.

Q. What's the key in still being aggressive and still playing the way you guys want to play if you don't always get the calls?

TERANCE MANN: Just keep going. There's nothing we can really do about it. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to get in trouble. There's nothing you can do; you've got to just keep getting to the paint as best you can.