Terry Rozier and the Charlotte Hornets certainly made a statement Wednesday night at TD Garden.
The Hornets hadn't beaten the Celtics in Boston since Rozier's rookie season with the C's in 2015-16, but Rozier played a big role in changing that Wednesday. The former Celtics first-round pick dropped a game-high 28 points with 10 assists and six made 3-pointers, including this dagger that clinched the Hornets' 111-102 victory:
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Rozier has now hit 504 3-pointers in just three seasons with Charlotte, becoming just the fifth player in franchise history with at least 500 made threes. (Kemba Walker, Dell Curry, Marvin Williams and Glen Rice are the other four.)
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Rozier's 10 assists were also a season high and helped create an impressive stat: He and LaMelo Ball -- who notched a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists -- became just the fifth duo with at least 10 assists each against the Celtics in the 21st century. Here's the full list, courtesy of Celtics radio play-by-play announcer Sean Grande:
- Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball -- Jan. 19, 2022
- Rajon Rondo and LeBron James -- Feb. 7, 2019
- Evan Fournier and D.J. Augustin -- Oct. 22., 2018
- Kyrie Irving and LeBron James -- Dec. 29, 2016
- Ray Allen and Antonio Daniels -- Feb. 22, 2004
That's some pretty decent company.
"He was having way too much fun out there," Celtics star Jaylen Brown said of Rozier after the game. "... Heโs made some shots in this building before, so he got hot. We canโt let that happen."
Rozier said prior to Wednesday's game he hoped to "make a statement" by beating his old team and seemed very pleased after accomplishing that goal.
"To beat a team like Boston -- Iโm pretty sure I can speak for a lot of people -- it feels good," Rozier told reporters after the game. "Itโs a winning program, a team with a lot of great players, plays hard to the end.
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"So to come in here and get a win, and like I said earlier we want to make a statement, because we want to get to where theyโre at as an organization."
The Hornets are actually 2.5 games ahead of the 23-23 Celtics in the Eastern Conference and play an exciting brand of basketball. If anything, the C's could learn a lesson or two from Rozier's squad as they look to turn things around down the stretch.