Bradley earning bragging rights over Washington NBA pals

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BOSTONWhen Avery Bradley returns home to Tacoma, WA this summer, there's a good chance he'll run into some of his NBA buddies like Isaiah Thomas and Jamal Crawford who play for Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers, respectively.

There's an even better chance that the going-ons of this past week will come up in their conversations, a week that saw Bradley come up with big plays in both games against each of them.

In Boston's 99-81 win over the Kings, Bradley had a come-from-behind block of a Thomas lay-up that ignited both the C's as well as the TD Garden crowd.

And in Sunday's 106-104 win over the Clippers, Bradley drew an offensive foul against Crawford in the game's final minute that set up the game-winning basket by Paul Pierce.

And while Pierce certainly deserves to be praised for coming through with such a clutch shot, it was Bradley's defense against Crawford that positioned the C's for the victory.

"I'm pretty sure he knows my game, well," Bradley said. "And the same thing with him. I know his game. We've played with each other and against each other in the summer. He's a great player, a great scorer. I just try to make it as hard as possible on him. The opportunity was there to take the charge and I did."

Bradley coming up with a big defensive play is not a surprise to Crawford, who was in the NBA when he first met Bradley who at the time was in middle school.

"He's turning into a good player. He's always been a really good defender, had a nice mid-range game," Crawford said. "But being around the veterans and Doc (Rivers) has really helped him out a lot. His future is so bright. He's always working on trying to get better."

The two have kept in touch through the years, often participating in one another's summer camps and other off-the-court activities.

Crawford, who is from nearby Seattle, is also good friends with another Celtic (Jason Terry) who is also from Seattle.

They are just a handful of the players from the Pacific Northwest whose talents have catapulted them to the NBA.

"It's a special place," Crawford said of the area also known as Sea-Tac. "We all support each other. We always, when somebody is having an event or camp, or I need you to talk some kids at a school, we're always there to support each other."

But on the court, that's a different story.

"Oh we all want to win," Crawford said. "Because if you don't you'll probably hear about it over the summer."

And for now, it's Bradley with the bragging rights.

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