Eric Bledsoe believes Nerlens Noel took him out on purpose early in Friday night’s game as retaliation for Bledsoe’s comments about the Kentucky Wildcats defeating the Philadelphia 76ers this season.
Bledsoe says he was warned before the game to avoid the paint.
Here are details from CSNPhilly.com:
“They were telling me before if I came into the paint they were going to do something dirty,” Bledsoe said. “I did it on purpose.”
Thirty seconds into Friday’s game between the Sixers and Suns, Bledsoe drove into the paint, where he was met by a hand to the face from Nerlens Noel that sent him sprawling to the floor. Bledsoe leapt to his feet and confronted Noel, who was assessed a flagrant-one on the play. Bledsoe also received a technical.
The animosity toward Bledsoe stemmed from comments he made about how the University of Kentucky could beat the Sixers in a seven-game series. Although he later admitted to just joking around.
Bledsoe also added:
“You can tell if you look at the tape,” he said. “Like I said, they did it on purpose.”
Here’s the play that led to Noel earning a flagrant one foul and Bledsoe picking up a technical foul:
