Holding a six-point lead with just under a minute remaining, Terry Rozier protected the ball at the center of the Boston Celtics’ leprechaun logo, eager to create space with Dennis Schröder draped on him.
The shot-clock dwindling down to five, the veteran from Youngstown, Ohio got free toward the Boston bench launching a deep, side-step triple in the grill of old teammate, Jayson Tatum.
As the net barely moved, the former Celtic was greeted by the iconic Mike Breen yell of, “It’s good!”
Silencer after silencer.
Scary Terry Rozier has quietly been a killer for the Hornets
"“We’re out there just having fun, you know? It’s like we all going to the park, that is what we tell each other. It is like we going to the park, just go out there and have fun. We are looking forward to pick it up off this and keep winning.” – Said Rozier postgame with ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth on Jan. 19."
The Charlotte Hornets have now won seven of their last 10 contests, led by Rozier’s scoring outbursts.
The seven-year guard out of Louisville has been dominant over his last 15 games, scorching with 21.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from three.
Being absent for some outings at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Michael Jordan’s decision to give Rozier an extension (making him one of the highest-paid guards in the NBA) seemed to be a questionable move.
Turning 28 in March, Rozier has continued to improve every season.
The game knows about his athletic explosiveness on the glass and attacking the rim, but it was clear that once he became a consistent 20-point scorer, Rozier would really live up to his nickname – Scary Terry.
His outside shooting has continuously improved as well, given the fact that he has six games on the season with six or more threes. Rozier is now shooting 37 percent from behind the arc.
Already smooth with the basketball, one can sense Rozier’s increased, polished capabilities when watching his elite handle along with finishing around the cup. He has always shown he can drop 10-plus assists and grab double-digit boards.
You can tell going at it with veterans like Kyrie Irving early in his career has really rubbed off on him. Jordan now looks like a genius for creating and developing this backcourt in Charlotte.
“It is a long road,” Rozier said when talking about catching up to the rest of the East en route to being a postseason ball club.
"“It is a long road for sure. I just want to make sure I be that guy to let everybody know it is a long road. You can’t get satisfied at all. I think it is mainly the preparation. Just got to be prepared. Once we are on that verge of getting to the playoffs, I think we will be fine, but we still got a long way to go right now.”"