Montreal's Karim Mane records first NBA points

Earlier this NBA season, Karim Mane made history as the first player to be signed to the league directly from CEGEP when he joined the Orlando Magic under a two-way contract this past in November. Last night, the young Montrealer scored his first two points, in a 105-94 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Two-Way Player @KarimMane_ scored his first NBA points in tonight’s @OrlandoMagic win. Many more to come.#MagicTogether pic.twitter.com/cQasDx2F3l
— Osceola Magic (@OsceolaMagic) January 7, 2021

Though Mane was on the court for all but four minutes in the final quarter, he successfully sunk two free throws to help his team secure the win.

“I think what I’ve enjoyed the most is just practice, you know? Every day, just getting better, feeling that you’re getting better every single day,” Karim Mane said to the press earlier this season about his time with the Magic thus far.

Karim Mané — Hoops on the Rise | Instagram

Elsewhere in the game, Mane’s teammate Markelle Fultz tore his left ACL, a season-ending injury for the first overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. The Magic have made the playoffs in the past two years since Fultz was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers, though the team was knocked out in the first round both times, by the Raptors and Bucks, respectively.

Last night’s game marks the sixth win of the Magic’s season, giving them the #2 placement in the Eastern Conference, trailing only behind the 7-1 76ers. The Magic will play back-to-back games this weekend, trekking to Texas to go against the Houston Rockets (Jan. 7) and the Dallas Mavericks (Jan. 8).

Karim Mane and Markelle Fultz both play as point guards. With the latter out until the 2021-22 season, it is expected that the team will give Mane an increased role in games.

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