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Despite being one of the most injury-riddled teams during the 2017-18 NBA season, the Boston Celtics have defied the odds all year by finishing as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. They have continued to do so through the postseason, as they now find themselves in a rematch of last year's Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Needless to say, the Cavaliers are the heavy favorites to defend their crown in the East. However, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg, point guard Terry Rozier is embracing Boston's underdog status:
“We weren't gonna lay down for nobody, no matter who was counting us out,” Terry Rozier said Friday. “We weren't going to just let the teams come in and punk us. We were the No. 2 seed for a reason. With injuries, without, we were the No. 2 seed, so obviously we were doing something great all season and … you can keep counting us out.
“We'd rather (the media) count us out. We don't want anybody on our side now. We're doing good and we play better when our back is against the wall.”
There is plenty of truth to Rozier's comments. There had been plenty of optimism surrounding the Celtics with the addition of small forward Gordon Hayward and point guard Kyrie Irving. However, many were ready to count them out once Hayward went down in the season opener. That notion was essentially solidified when Irving was ruled out for the postseason after undergoing knee surgery.
Fortunately, Rozier was among the Celtic's young players to step up and pick up the slack in their absence. The third-year man out of Louisville is averaging 18.2 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game this postseason. As a result, Boston now seems to have a fighting chance in this series even without their superstars.
