Boston Celtics: A look back at the Terry Rozier, and the Eric and Drew Bledsoe Saga
The battle of Terry Rozier and Eric Bledsoe took the basketball playoffs by storm in the first round last season. This year, the two will meet again.
Bledsoe ran into Rozier at the wrong time last year. After stepping in for the injured Kyrie Irving, Rozier made a name for himself by dominating the fist two games of the playoffs. “Scary Terry” averaged 23 points, 5.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds during the first two games, shooting 50% from three and 47% from the field.
Where it started:
After having a fantastic game one, Rozier and the Celtics were tied with the Bucks at 96 with ten seconds to play. During a timeout, Brad Stevens drew up a play that was intended for either Marcus Morris or Jayson Tatum. Instead, Rozier took it upon himself to cross up Bledsoe and hit a go-ahead three while Bledsoe watched from about ten feet away. Despite Khris Middleton hitting a three to tie with less than second left, the Celtics pulled out an overtime victory, in which Bledsoe was held scoreless.
The mix-up:
After game one, it seemed Rozier was taking a humble approach during the post-game interview. The first couple of questions came, and Rozier analyzed the play and gave credit to the Bucks. Rozier then discussed a couple of individual players on the Bucks, starting with Giannis Antetokounmpo, followed by “Drew Bledsoe.” Now, of course Rozier was talking about Eric Bledsoe, but whether or not it was dig at the point guard or just an honest mistake, Bledsoe fired back after game two.
The clap-back:
“I don’t even know who the f*** that is” said Bledsoe, when asked after game two about Rozier playing 78 minutes without recording a turnover. This was a shot at Rozier, as saying he did not recognize his name was a retaliation of Rozier getting Bledsoe’s name wrong. It may seem petty, but that’s just how the NBA is.
The scuffle:
Coming back to Boston, the Bucks were hot. Winning two in a row in Milwaukee, the momentum of the series had shifted. With Boston leading by 13 in the third quarter of game five, things got chippy between the two. After a couple of consecutive push-offs between the two, Bledsoe lowered his shoulder into Rozier, with Rozier retaliating by throwing Bledsoe off of him. The two had to be separated by the rest of the players on the court, but the chirping continued.
A message from the real Bledsoe:
It’s game seven. There’s six minutes left and Boston is up by 15. The crowd is loud, but it is about to get even louder. All attention focuses to the jumbo-tron, where a video message from Bledsoe starts to play. The Garden erupts as a short highlight video of Bledsoe shows. Boston goes on to win the game and the series.
Rozier continues the troll:
The Bucks series was over, and the 76ers series was starting. That didn’t stop Rozier from continuing his trolling of Bledsoe. Rozier showed up with a vintage “11” Drew Bledsoe jersey during game one of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
A live appearance from the original Bledsoe:
Just when you think the NBA playoffs couldn’t get crazier, in steps Drew Bledsoe to the post-game press conference. After the Celtics series-clinching win against Philadelphia, Rozier was supposed to be the one to talk first. Instead, Bledsoe crashed the press conference and talked about his relationship with Rozier wearing his jersey.
Rozier vs Bledsoe: Round Two
Although Rozier is not a current starter on this Celtics team, we will eventually see him and Eric Bledsoe matchup against each other. The key for both of them in the series will be to not let the rivalry get to their heads. Both of them are anywhere from the 4th to 7th best scoring option on their team, so any type of dueling may take away from their team.
Expect the two to have some words for each other and maybe a few pull-up threes when guarded by the other. This time around it will not have as much hype because of the smaller roles each player has, but there will definitely be some sparks in this series.