Every game that Terry Rozier and the Charlotte Hornets play during this final stretch run is the biggest game of the year. Mainly because of the new play-in tournament rules that have been implanted for the last few teams in the postseason picture.
Unfortunately, the Hornets have dropped their last two games, including one against the Boston Celtics, 120-111. That loss drops them down to 30-32 and ties them with the ninth-seeded Indiana Pacers in the loss column. Charlotte still has that eighth spot, but that can change in the blink of an eye. Any loss at this point could be crucial for seeding purposes.
The matchup with the Celtics was a tight contest overall, but the Hornets' shots just were not falling. Rozier struggled to find his rhythm against his former team, shooting only 4-of-18 from the field. However, Hornets head coach James Borrego knows it is just a part of the daily grind in the Association.
“Everyone has stretches like this. Terry has been a go-to guy all season, so we prefer him to be aggressive,” Borrego said.
Rozier chimed in afterward, saying, “Being a basketball player, you're going to have slumps. People are going to overreact and that's their job, but it is my job to look myself in the mirror and stay true to myself.”
Rozier has been the go-to scorer for the Hornets all season long, so it is only natural to be a little fatigued on the second night of a back-to-back. Despite Boston being his home for four years, Rozier still tries to “just treat it like another game.”
“It holds something special in my heart, so it's just a little different to stay normal. But, I go out there and try to have fun,” Rozier said.
The Hornets are going to need Rozier to hit shots in the last 10 games of the season. Their goal should be to move up the ladder to try to get to that sixth spot that the Celtics hold. Only two games separate the Hornets from Boston and the Miami Heat. Avoiding the play-in tournament is still a reasonable goal for this squad, and they could be getting some help very soon.
LaMelo Ball, Malik Monk, and Gordon Hayward will be reevaluated during the Hornets' two-day break. Getting their young floor general back and two key perimeter scorers should inject Charlotte with some new life in the most important stretch of basketball of the season.
It is pretty much do-or-die for the Charlotte Hornets, and the ball is in their court.
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