WALTHAM, Mass. -- Boston Celtics guard Terry Rozier downplayed any bad blood with Milwaukee Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe and suggested that referring to him as "Drew" during a news conference after Game 1 was simply an accident.
Following Boston's Game 2 victory Tuesday, Bledsoe replied, "Who?" when asked about Rozier. When a reporter repeated the question, Bledsoe answered, "I don't even know who the f--- that is."
Rozier, who hit a last-second step-back 3-pointer over Bledsoe near the end of regulation in Game 1, downplayed any beef between the two players.
"I ain't got no bad blood with nobody," Rozier said before Boston's practice Thursday. "Everybody out here play basketball. Ain't nobody no boxers or none of that stuff. I'm not really worried about all that. I'm not caught up in that. I'm worried about Celtics and Bucks, how can I help my team get past the first round?"
Bledsoe, meanwhile, did not back off the comments he made after Game 2 regarding Rozier. Asked if he was surprised about the reaction to his Rozier comments, his response was quick.
"Who?" Bledsoe said.
Asked if he knew who Rozier was now, Bledsoe tried to put the focus back on the game.
"I'm focused on this series, man," Bledsoe said. "Between Milwaukee and Boston right now. I'm just trying to help the team win. That's what point guards do."
Pressed on referring to the Bucks guard as Drew Bledsoe, the former New England Patriots quarterback, Rozier even invoked some familiar Patriots vernacular in his response.
"I made a huge mistake," said a smiling Rozier. "But it is what it is now. I don't care."
Rozier, elevated to the starting point guard role in the postseason as the Celtics play without Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart, is averaging 23 points, 5.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds over 39 minutes through two playoff games. What's more, Rozier hasn't committed a turnover in 78 minutes of floor time and the Celtics are plus-19 when he is on the court.
Bledsoe is averaging 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 turnovers over 33.5 minutes per game. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Rozier is 7-of-12 in this series when guarded by Bledsoe, while Bledsoe is 4-of-13 when guarded by Rozier.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is confident that Bledsoe will perform much better than he has in Games 1 and 2. After being told about Bledsoe's comments regarding Rozier, Antetokounmpo brushed off the words.
"I don't want to get involved with that," Antetokounmpo said. "But I know Bledsoe's going to show up. I trust him because he's really determined. A guy that never gives up and I know he's going to do whatever it takes [Friday] to win."
Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty also tried to tamp down Bledsoe's comments.
"I think that happens all the time in series," Prunty said. "I get it, there will be talk. Sometimes there's even different talk that takes place throughout a series. At the end of the day, we're worried about stepping on the floor and playing the best basketball that we can play because we need to do that."
Rozier said he expects a hostile environment in Milwaukee as the series shifts for Game 3 on Friday night.
"I like hostile," said Rozier. "It's basketball. It's nothing to be worried about."
ESPN's Nick Friedell contributed to this report.