Charlotte Hornets have a king of clutch in Terry Rozier. The numbers don’t lie
The Charlotte Hornets made up a 10-point deficit in the last five minutes against the Golden State Warriors to win Saturday.
That’s impressive. But it’s not all that surprising.
The Hornets have been the NBA’s best clutch team this season, and by a wide margin. Last season, they finished fifth among 30 teams in that category.
The NBA defines clutch time as the last five minutes of a game when the margin between two teams is five points or fewer. The Hornets have played 38 minutes in clutch time this season, and have obliterated opponents in that time: Outscoring them by 53.3 points per 100 possessions. The next-best NBA clutch team is the Philadelphia 76ers, at plus-35 points per 100 possessions.
Saturday against the Warriors, the Hornets trailed 91-81 when guard Terry Rozier hit a two-foot floater with 4 minutes, 28 seconds left. That started a 21-9 Charlotte run that finished with Rozier making a 20-foot pull-up jump shot at the buzzer for the two-point win.
Rozier was exceptional in the fourth quarter Saturday: He scored 20 of Charlotte’s 33 points, making 7 of 9 shots from the field and 4 of 4 from 3-point range.
That added to some striking clutch-time production by Rozier this season: In 30 clutch-time minutes, he has scored 33 points on 53% from the field and 54% from 3-point range. The Hornets have outscored opponents by 42 points this season with Rozier on the floor in clutch time.
Rozier has been on an absurd hot streak: Over the past four games, heading into Monday’s road game against the Utah Jazz, he’s averaging 36 points and has made 23 of his last 39 3s (59%).
“I just seen one go through, I seen two go through, and then it felt like (shooting into) the ocean,” Rozier said Saturday night. “My teammates and my coaches did a great job down the stretch — they got me the rock and we made it happen.”
Hornets coach James Borrego talks often of Rozier’s will, which was also on display Saturday.
“His will throughout games and fourth quarters just to keep us alive,” Borrego said. “He gives us a tremendous amount of confidence and (Saturday), he just willed us to another victory.”
Likely no Devonte Graham
The Hornets list guard Devonte Graham as doubtful to play against the Jazz. This would be his second consecutive game missed with soreness in and around his left knee cap. Graham suffered that injury in the Feb. 14 home loss to the San Antonio Spurs, sitting out most of the second half.
The Hornets continue to be without Caleb Martin, due to COVID-19 related protocols. The Hornets got back Cody Martin from those protocols, but he didn’t play versus the Warriors Saturday.
This is the start of a six-game West Coast trip for the Hornets leading into All-Star break. Charlotte’s six opponents on this trip have a combined record of 96-84, starting with the Jazz, who sit at 24-6 — best in the league. The Jazz is top-5 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Malik Monk’s shooting
Malik Monk is having by far his best season as a 3-point shooter, making 46.6% of his attempts. His prior best in four NBA seasons was 34% as a rookie.
Monk wasn’t in Charlotte’s rotation earlier this season, but now he’s a fixture off the bench, playing 20 or more minutes in the last 10 games. With Graham injured, Monk’s role and minutes expand off the bench.
While Monk’s 3-point accuracy has improved, his 2-point percentage has dropped from 54% last season to 40% this season. During a 13-game burst in February last season, he played the best basketball of his career, largely on him getting to the rim more.
Are defenses guarding him differently this season?
“It varies,” Monk said. “Some teams run me off the 3-point line and some teams go under (screens) and want me to fall in love with the 3-point line” rather than drive.
“They do a good job of switching it up.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM.
