Boston Celtics

Terry Rozier hits 3 to force OT for Boston Celtics (Video)

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 2:12 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Gerald Bourguet/Fansided

The Boston Celtics needed a three-pointer to force overtime on Saturday. Of all people, it was Terry Rozier who supplied the game-tying bucket.

When the Boston Celtics found themselves trailing the Portland Trail Blazers by three late in the fourth quarter Saturday, head coach Brad Stevens had a number of All-Star caliber players to draw up the final play for.

Naturally, he drew it up for second-year guard Terry Rozier, who made him look like the head coaching wunderkind he is by calmly drilling it.

With 10.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the Celtics inbounding the ball, Stevens had Rozier curl around two screens and he was wide open near the top of the key. Marcus Smart got him the ball and Rozier smoothly drilled the open look to knot the game at 113 with 8.4 seconds to play.

That gave the Blazers plenty of time to work with, but Damian Lillard’s midrange step-back jumper was a little too long at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

At the end of regulation, Rozier had 15 points in 22 minutes off the bench, shooting 6-for-13 from the field and 3-for-6 from three-point range. It was a ballsy call to draw up a play for a sub when Isaiah Thomas leads the league in fourth quarter scoring and Marcus Smart is known for stepping up in big moments, but it paid off.

The 22-year-old Rozier entered Saturday’s game with meager averages of 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game on putrid shooting splits of .383/.321/.711. Talk about having faith in your guy to deliver.

Unfortunately, Rozier’s heroics went unrewarded, since the Celtics fell in overtime, 127-123. C.J. McCollum led the way with 35 points, while Lillard chipped in 28.

The Celtics were led by 41 from Isaiah Thomas, but unfortunately for the soon-to-be two-time All-Star, it wasn’t enough to prevent Boston from falling to 26-17 on the season.

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