April 30, 2019 vs. Boston Celtics
Considering his high-profile struggles in the postseason, it may be bold to go with a showing of Bledsoe’s during that part of their exceptional run last year.
Yet, given the gravity of the game and how it was critical in the Bucks being able to turn around and subsequently smother the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last year, the Bucks’ 123-102 victory in Game 2 of the series gave us the version of Bledsoe that has been rarely seen in this part of the season.
Over the night, the former Wildcat gave the Bucks the relentless pressure they needed at the rim to open up their dynamic attack, which helped open up the Bucks’ 3-point shooting as they eventually knocked down 20 triples on 47 attempts. Bledsoe certainly did his part in that regard with three splashes of his own.
He certainly wasn’t without some sloppy mistakes, the kind of which have torpedoed his playoff performances in each of the Bucks’ last two playoff runs, but the overall aggression and athleticism Bledsoe showed on both ends was key in establishing the tone in that regard. And his defense on the Celtics’ guards, most notably Kyrie Irving, foreshadowed how his individual series would crater as the series went on.
Bledsoe went on to finish with 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting (3-of-5 from deep, 4-for-4 from the foul line), five assists, four turnovers, three rebounds, two blocks, and was a +23 in more than 26 minutes of run.