Hornets' Terry Rozier's Groin Injury Diagnosed as Strain vs. Pacers

Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier was declared out due to a groin sprain suffered in the team's matchup with the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.

Rozier sustained the injury in the fourth quarter and did not return.

Prior to his exit, the 29-year-old had put up 22 points and 6 rebounds while shooting 7-14 from the field. This included a 3-5 mark from three, while Rozier connected on all five of his free throw attempts.

Although Charlotte has gotten off to a 2-3 start this season, the former first-round pick has been one of the team's early bright spots despite his subpar long-range shooting numbers.

Heading into Saturday's action, Rozier was averaging a team-leading 22.0 points per game while hitting just over 46 percent of his field goals. This included a 64 percent shooting mark in the restricted area, the highest of any guard on the roster according to NBA.com.

Rozier had been active throughout the summer, organizing optional workout sessions with his teammates alongside fellow veteran Gordon Hayward. Hornets head coach Steve Clifford was impressed with the initiative taken by the two.

"Terry, Gordon, they were great," Clifford said prior to the season, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. "They kind of set the whole thing up. When we do the drills — because you are limited to what you can do — they are the first guys in. So I really feel like we got a lot out of September."

If Rozier misses an extended period of time, Brandon Miller is a candidate to replace him and give the Hornets a starting lineup with a bit more size. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has gotten off to an efficient start this year, averaging 15.5 points per game on 47-42-83 shooting splits.

Rozier's first chance to return will be against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. ET.