The Celtics overcame another monster performance by LeBron James in Game 2 (42-10-12), but we’re here to discuss the game within the game. That game was James vs. Terry Rozier.
Terry Rozier made a damn brave play against LeBron James. Then James got revenge. Twice
Rozier got the best of James on a fast break, but he foolishly went back for more, and that worked out horribly.
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And that game within the game had a bonus chapter in Game 7 when LeBron did this.
And then he stared down the TD Garden crowd.
LeBron 2, Rozier 1.
How did we get here?
Rozier has broken out since being thrust into the starting lineup after Kyrie Irving’s knee injury. He plays fearlessly and with passion, fitting right in with Brad Stevens’ brand of Celtics basketball.
That fearlessness was never more clear than in Game 2. Rozier grabbed a defensive rebound and made a beeline towards the other end of the floor — with chase-down block artist James trailing him.
Not only did Rozier get the bucket, he threw down a booming dunk. It was one of those plays where your Twitter timeline projectile vomits at an alarming rate the player’s name, and a mix of some OH MY GODs and HOLY SHITs:
This one was for an especially good reason, though. It was one of the bravest plays in NBA history. After the game, Brad Stevens said of Rozier, “He’s certainly not scared.”
James has always amazed us with his great stat lines, and if the NBA created a stat for the chase-down block there’s no question that he would be tops in league history. Arguably his most iconic play is a chase-down block:
Randy Moss recently told a story about why he chose football over basketball. It had to do with Kevin Garnett blocking his shot with such vigor that he “cleaned his ball.” That’s what James has done his whole career — cleaned basketballs off the glass. Windex should really offer him a sponsorship, but they’re running out of time assuming James will age like an average person (he won’t), but I digress.
Rozier could have left the TD Garden on Tuesday with his chest out as he would have won the chase-down war with James, and a 2-0 series lead.
But he went back for seconds, and James cleaned his ball.
This one was a much easier play for James to make compared to the first one — yet it doesn’t necessarily take away from his dunk. James’ precise timing combined with the velocity of the basketball going off the glass will forever be mind blowing. It’s hard to laugh at any player for being on the wrong side of it, because damn near everybody has.
And Rozier himself was again in Game 7, in particularly cruel fashion
Like Icarus flying too close to the sun, Rozier surged in for a powerful right-handed tomahawk midway through the third quarter of Game 7. You don’t do that against LeBron in an elimination game.
You just don’t.
Rozier’s career could end tomorrow and he’d have a badass story to tell his grandkids about how he beat James down the court for a vicious slam. There’s very few players in NBA history to could claim such a feat.
Though he might forget to tell them how he tried The King again, and how he was quickly reminded of the greatness that is LeBron James, chase-down block extraordinaire.
And he’ll definitely forget to tell them about the time he tried again and failed spectacularly. Or, he’ll fess up, because his grandkids will have no trouble finding the clip.
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