The Atlanta Hawks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 145-124 on Sunday in an eventful contest. Terance Mann was one of the headliners, albeit for a rather dubious reason.
With 6:05 to go and the Hawks up 101-81, Mann was assessed a technical foul from the bench.
Mann drew the second tech with 9:14 remaining in the game and the Hawks leading the Bucks 124-104 after getting into an altercation with Bucks guard Andre Jackson in which the former received a push to the face from the latter.
Both players received techs; Jackson was allowed to remain in the game.
Because it was Mann’s second infraction of the night, it triggered the automatic toss. He sent a message after the game.
“Messing up my peace mannnnn,” Mann posted on X on March 30.
Mann finished the contest with 9 points, 4 assists, and 1 rebound. He entered the contest averaging 10.0/3.0/2.1 in his first 21 appearances with the Hawks following his trade from the Los Angeles Clippers.
The good news for Mann is that he maintained his high three-point efficiency, connecting on one of his two looks, giving him a 50% clip in the game and a 41.2% on the season.
Terance Mann celebrates Hawks’ win over Bucks
The Hawks’ win over the Bucks was key for many reasons. It keeps them within striking distance of the No. 6 seed, and regains control of the No. 7 seed from the Orlando Magic with two head-to-head games to go, the first of which is on April 8 on the road.
“Great win!” Mann posted. “Much needed.”
The Hawks have eight games to go in a season that many viewed as the precursor to another offseason of changes.
Mann, 28, is in the final year of a two-year, $22 million contract. He is set to begin a three-year, $47 million extension in 2025-26, so he figures to be part of the Hawks’ future. His impact on Kobe Bufkin, the Hawks’ injury-prone former first-round pick, is something to watch.
The Hawks will take the court next at home against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
The Blazers have the fourth-worst record in the Western Conference, are 4-6 in their last 10 outings, and will enter the contest on a four-game losing streak.
Of course, the Hawks have struggled against the West all season, going 9-18 in those games so far this season. Fortunately for the Hawks, the Blazers are one of three Western Conference teams they will face before the season ends, joining the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz.
The Mavericks are fighting for postseason positioning. The Jazz are playing for the future.