LOS ANGELES — Clippers coach Tyronn Lue has continued to tinker with his lineups, searching for the right combinations as he looks toward the postseason.
But he knows one thing for sure. His starting lineup will center around Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris Sr. and Ivica Zubac, four players who have played together for four seasons.
“We have to start building off that, start getting a rhythm, playing that way,” Lue said. “We’ve been really good offensively with those four guys starting.”
Lue wasn’t disappointed as all four figured prominently in a close 108-100 victory over the Toronto Raptors that elevated the Clippers (35-33) into sixth place in the tightly packed Western Conference standings.
George, who has been playing at a high clip lately, continued that pace with 23 points. Leonard appears to have rounded into playoff form with another strong showing. He had a game-high 24 points, a season-high 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals against the team he helped lead to the NBA title in 2019.
While Morris had another quiet night, Zubac finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.
“I think all of our veterans have stepped up and we just talked about how we have a special opportunity and we just got to continue to keep working,” Lue said. “That’s what we did the last two days (of practice). We really worked and defensively just worked on our foundation, what we need to do every single night.”
The fifth spot in the starting lineup has been held down by point guard Russell Westbrook since he joined the team. But Terance Mann might have made a case for that spot against the Raptors.
His strong passing game and solid shooting off the bench, including a dunk with 5:52 left to give the Clippers a 97-88 lead, helped keep the Raptors from mounting any serious challenge down the stretch. Mann scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, had four rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes.
Lue said Mann’s defense, especially…
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