The fact Wizards backup guard Brandon Jennings instigated conflict with an opponent is surprising to no one. Jennings has a reputation for doing that and will gladly admit it. The person he picked on in Game 3, however, was surprising, at least to the Celtics.
Jennings got into it with Celtics reserve Terry Rozier, a guy he has a history with. The two traded off fouling each other, then earned double technicals and ejections from Game 3.
Rozier's teammates simply aren't used to seeing people play around with him.
"A lot of people don't want to mess with Terry. He's really with that. I will tell you that now," guard Isaiah Thomas said.
"He's a guy who can step up to his own battles," forward Jae Crowder said.
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Translation: Rozier is, as the saying goes, 'bout that life and not someone others usually want to mess with.' Jennings, though, overlooked all of that and decided to engage. Even Rozier will admit that Jennings' tactics worked.
So will Thomas and Crowder.
"That's what Jennings is doing. I guess he got the best of him last game, but Jennings has been doing that all year," Thomas, who considers Jennings a good friend, said. "He's been that guy that just is real physical when he comes into a game. He tries to change the outcome of a game. That's his job. I guess he did a good job of it last game."
"Terry has to do a better job of staying within the course of the game and stay within himself and not let opponents get him rattled like that," Crowder added.
Rozier is tough and scrappy and doesn't back down from altercations. But it sounds like he met his match with Jennings.
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