While many sports fans were likely getting ready to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday afternoon, the Miami Heat were hosting the Boston Celtics in a rematch of the last two Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics were able to hold on in a tight, chippy affair to get a 110-106 win and sweep the season series 3-0 from the Heat. But perhaps bigger than any win/loss result in this regular season game, was what looked like a major knee injury suffered by Terry Rozier.
Terry Rozier is headed to the locker room after landing on his leg. pic.twitter.com/rP521Sh8vL
— ESPN (@espn) February 11, 2024
Just past midway through the third quarter, Rozier drove into the lane against Al Horford and rose to lay the ball in. Terry was fouled on the attempt and came down landing awkwardly on his right leg.
Rozier immediately started writhing in pain and clutching at his right knee. Heat trainers and personnel quickly raced onto the court, and after a few minutes, Rozier hobbled to the locker room with trainers under each arm. Rozier wasn’t even able to stay and shoot the free throws, which meant he was automatically ineligible to return to the game - perhaps signaling the seriousness of the injury.
No injury update yet
There has been no official diagnosis yet but based on the reactions, anything less than a season-ending injury would seem like a bullet dodge for Miami. It’s a brutal blow for the current #8 seed in the East. Rozier was the Heat’s big trade season acquisition, as they dealt the Hornets a 2027 first-round pick and Kyle Lowry to acquire the 29-year-old guard who was averaging 23.2 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.9 rebounds this season in Charlotte.
It’s awful to see this happen to anyone, and it’s especially rough for a guy like Rozier who has been a consummate professional for his entire tenure with the Hornets and was finally getting a much-deserved chance to make an impact for a playoff team.
Hopefully, this injury is not as bad as it initially looked and Rozier will be able to return for the Heat this season. The 28-25 Heat were already playing without their star, Jimmy Butler due to personal reasons, and lost Josh Richardson to a shoulder injury in the first half.