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Terry Rozier put on a show on Friday, as the Charlotte Hornets took down the Minnesota Timberwolves, 120-114, at Spectrum Center.
Rozier had 41 points on 13-of-20 shooting–including 6-of-10 from deep. The huge performance came on the heels of a 34-point game he put up against the Memphis Grizzlies last Wednesday, a contest that ended in a loss for Charlotte. It is safe to say Rozier prefers to have a big night scoring the basketball and the win.
Despite those big nights, Rozier credited his Hornets teammates and his work ethic more than anything.
“Having teammates and coaches like this that allow me to be special and just play my game. All the credit goes to them. I’m just out here practicing, I’ve been working all summer, and it’s like this is just practice for me,” Terry Rozier shared.
Hornets head coach James Borrego also acknowledged Rozier's impact in getting the W.
“He was huge, I mean we don’t get this done without Terry. I probably left a few more on the table for him in the first half. But he stuck with it and we found him, and we called his number – the guys called his number and he delivered tonight. Terry deserves a ton of credit for this victory and he was great down the stretch,” Borrego explained.
Hornets veterans step up as Charlotte faced COVID-19 protocols
It was a fun night in Buzz City right after the opening tip, but there were definitely several concerns before the game started. After all, three of the Hornets' key rotation guys were ruled out due to health and safety protocols.
Thankfully, the Hornets have some solid veterans who could stay optimistic in a bad situation.
“I think a little bit, a lot of stuff fell back on me, (Gordon Hayward), Bis (Bismack Biyombo), just to keep the guys level headed, because like I said everything was pushed back and everything was crazy today. We did that, we obviously didn’t play the best game, our defense wasn’t there, but we found a way to pull it off. Days like this, it’s not going to be easy, but you just got to find a way, and luckily we’ve got guys like me, Biz, G, Cody (Zeller), just to help the young guys out,” Terry Rozier added.
PJ Washington was one of the guys who was forced to sit out Friday's game, which is a big blow to the team as he normally soaks up minutes at power forward. The Hornets were forced to play smaller than usual, but that didn't stop them from outrebounding the Timberwolves 55-40.
LaMelo Ball Rookie of the Year campaign continues
For what it's worth, 11 of the Hornets' 55 boards belonged to LaMelo Ball, who also chipped in 20 points while starting alongside Rozier and Devonte' Graham.
It was Ball's first time matching up against the No.1 pick of his draft class, Anthony Edwards. Both rookies ended as the two top draftees, and they will match up again on March 3rd.
The most important takeaway from the win is the fact that the Hornets moved up to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. They are just under .500 at 13-14, right behind the Indiana Pacers. Charlotte will be home for the next four games against the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors. It will not exactly be a cakewalk, but if the team manages to sustain the level of play displayed on Friday, anything is possible.
