Boston Celtics point guard Terry Rozier made the most of a Kyrie Irving absence against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to flu-like symptoms, erupting for 22 of his game-high 26 points in the first half, making him the first Celtics player since Paul Pierce to log 20-plus points on a perfect shooting clip since Pierce’s 20-point, 7-of-7 second-half effort against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 30, 2009, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Rozier shot a clean 8-of-8 shooting before the break, actually putting him ahead of Pierce in this rare category.
While this was a romp against the worst team in the league, Rozier was scorching hot and didn't miss until the third quarter, finishing 9-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-5 from deep.
“He started it off,” said Jaylen Brown, who scored 23 points off the bench – including 14 during the second half of Boston’s 123-103 win, according to Taylor Snow of Celtics.com. “Terry’s one of the best guards in the league if you ask me. When he comes out with that aggression, no one can stop him.”
Rozier is possibly a starter-caliber guard buried in a very deep rotation, something that shows clearly when Kyrie Irving is unable to play and he's given the green light to start and spearhead the offense.
While he hasn't been able to match his production from last season, Rozier is one highly-coveted cog that teams will try to pry away from the Celtics this trade deadline and in the offseason, due to performances of this kind, which can help any team in the league.
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