Without Kawhi Leonard for Game 5, Ty Lue and the Clippers knew they would have to step up collectively. All of the players and all of the coaches would have to be better.
Of course, there was only one person stepping in directly for Leonard in the starting lineup, and that was Terance Mann, but Mann was very clear that his job wasn’t to fill in for the Clippers superstar.
“I’m not trying to fill Kawhi’s role at all, man. That’s Kawhi Leonard,” Mann said postgame. “But I’m just trying to be me, make things happen on the defensive end and be myself on the offensive end and whatever happens, happens after that.