BOSTON — The productive 80-second span provided a glimpse of the kind of spark he can provide off the Celtics’ bench.
Terry Rozier, the first reserve used by Coach Brad Stevens on Sunday night, scored eight points in just 1:20 during the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets.
Rozier, a point guard, entered the game with 6:14 left in the quarter, and just 1:15 later started scoring with a pair of jumpers, a fadeaway shot and a layup.
After moving into the starting lineup in the middle of March last season when Kyrie Irving went out, Rozier will be back on the bench this season, charged with keeping the offense going.
“I wouldn’t say I have to be patient. I’d just say I’ve got to be ready,” Rozier said. “I’m going to be coming off the bench. I just want to make an impact when I come in. Obviously I know I’m not the starter and I’m OK with that. I’m way past that. Now it’s what I do when I come in the game, impacting games is what I want to do.”
Rozier impacted games as the Celtics’ starter for 13 regular-season games after Irving was sidelined due to a knee ailment, then averaged 16.5 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 19 playoff games.
It was Rozier’s chance to shine, and he took full advantage of the situation. Now, it’s back to the second unit, though Stevens knows how valuable Rozier is to his team.
“I just have to figure out how to get him as many minutes as possible,” Stevens said. “He’s tremendous, not only in the way he plays, but the way he goes about his every day business. He works as hard as anybody on our roster.
“The immediate energy is noticeable when he’s in the game. That’s going to be important to our team moving forward. To his credit, all he’s done is come in and work and play. That’s all he usually does.”
After what he did down the stretch and through the playoffs, Rozier has the confidence of the Celtics no matter the role.
“I actually think he’s in a great position,” Al Horford said. “He led our team in the playoffs as the point guard and I just think that playoff experience, there’s nothing you can do to match it.
“I think you can play a bunch of regular-season games, be an All-Star but when you play in the playoffs in big moments like he did, I think he’s going to be fine. He understands what he needs to do. He comes in with a lot of energy. His confidence is high.”
Against the Hornets on Sunday night, Rozier was a man in motion as soon as he stepped on the parquet floor.
He finished with 13 points on 5 for 10 shooting to go with four rebounds, four assists and three steals in nearly 21 minutes and has connected on 10 of 20 shots in the two preseason games.
“When I come in, I am just trying to change the game, impact the game, try to fly around, be everywhere, get steals, stuff like that,” Rozier said. “That’s my goal. That’s my job. We want to pick up where the starters left off.
“Whether it’s five minutes, 10 minutes, my role is to make an impact and bring that intensity.”
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