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Kyrie Irving was impressed by how teammate Terry Rozier has managed to impact the game, despite playing limited minutes off the bench in the Boston Celtics' first-round series against the Indiana Pacers.
The Celtics grabbed a 2-0 lead after notching a 99-91 win on Wednesday, finishing a double-digit comeback to defend their home court at TD Garden.
Despite taking only one shot in the second half, Rozier was instrumental to Boston's come-from-behind effort with a put-back layup that gave the Celtics control, finishing with a game-best plus-16:
“He was huge in that comeback,” said head coach Brad Stevens, according to Jay King of The Athletic. “Way more than the stats (showed). I don’t always think the plus-minus tells us the most accurate story, but tonight I think, with him, it’s very accurate.”
Rozier scored only four points, but racked up six rebounds and six assists in his 21 minutes of floor time.
Irving was grateful the backup guard helped get the comeback kickstarted, setting up the stage for a 37-point performance that would ultimately lead the team to a win:
“I was really encouraged by the way we shared the ball and just made the right play,” said Stevens. “And then Kyrie was special.”
“It felt good to be here in this position, playing in this arena,” said Irving. “It’s just been a long journey having those two knee surgeries and watching the team last year. And finally getting a chance to lace ‘em up for the Boston Celtics in the NBA playoffs, there’s nothing like it.”
It was Rozier who took the reins of this team last postseason, but while this season has been a shaky one, he managed to come up big again in Game 2.
