Grant Williams started trash-talking Heat star Jimmy Butler after making a three-pointer to put the Celtics up 96-87 with 6:37 remaining in Game 2. Butler smirked, came to the other end, and notched an and-one with Williams defending him. The two players went head-to-head and both received technical fouls.
The Heat finished the contest on a 24-9 run (including nine by Butler) to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, winning both of their road games in Boston. As Nick Friedell of ESPN writes, Butler admitted the exchange fueled him.
“Yes, it did,” Butler said. “But that’s just competition at its finest. He hit a big shot, started talking to me. I like that. I’m all for that. It makes me key in a lot more. It pushes that will that I have to win a lot more. It makes me smile. It does. … But it’s just competition. I do respect him, though. He’s a big part of what they try to do. He switches. He can shoot the ball. I just don’t know if I’m the best person to talk to.”
For his part, Williams defended his actions, per Friedell.
“I think he said something and I just responded,” Williams said. “I’m a competitor, and I’m going to battle. He got the best of me tonight, and at the end of the day, it’s out of respect, because I’m not going to run away from it. … I’m ready to come back and come into Game 3 with a better mentality, and I know this team is as well.”
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- Having the same owner, key front office members, and head coach for many years running is paying dividends for the Heat, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “It takes so much time and energy to restart something,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, speaking beyond his situation. “And I think that’s been a part of why we’ve been able to reboot so many times over and over and over. We’re not reinventing a new culture and then trying to teach everybody and then all of a sudden two years later it’s going to be somebody else doing the same thing.”
- Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link) lists eight prospects the Magic should target with their two lottery picks (sixth and 11th). Some players mentioned include Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson of Overtime Elite, UCF’s Taylor Hendricks, and Kansas’ Gradey Dick.
- Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington attended the NBA draft combine this week and observed five takeaways that could be relevant for the Wizards. Hughes believes Seth Lundy might be a solid choice with one of Washington’s two second-round picks (Nos. 42 and 57), noting that the Penn State guard’s shooting, rebounding, length and experience could make him an immediate bench contributor.
Everyone hating on Grant but he the only one showing he got some fight in him. Everyone else around him quivered into cowardness, especially 1st All NBA wannabe superstar Tatum. Guaranteed if Gabe Vincent did that to Tatum, the whole Heat team would turn it up. Buts that’s the difference, Heat a team built on grown man alpha strength while the Celtics are just a bunch of dainty fingered cream puffs who cry because their wifi went out on the airplane for 5 seconds. This Celtics team is the biggest joke in the history of the NBA.
As a Heat fan, I’m a Grant Williams fan, and he was someone that was high on my draft board for them at the time of his draft. I also think he is a significant issue for the Heat in most lineups, and should have been playing the whole time b/c the only thing the Heat can do to those lineups is play Duncan Robinson, and hope the Heat makes shots, which is what happened in game 2, and ditlnt happen last year
“quivered into cowardness”
cringe.
The entire “alpha” theory was scientifically dismissed years ago, look it up- I don’t have time to explain things to you all of the time.
All killers have the same smirk.
I’d suggest that Magic trade up for #3 (3-team deal)
AND
trade #1 Fultz to the lottery pick
trade #5 Jelen Suggs to the lottery pick
Nah Magic need to stop playing and starting bringing some actual players. They been doing this build through the draft nonsense long enough. It ain’t working. Sign some free agents and at least make a play in
Only problems with the Butler v Grant stuff was why did Grant choose Jimmy. The guys a beast.
He mustn’t of heard what Jeff Teague said about Jimmy in Minny. Dude missed all of the offseason workouts, turns up to his first practice late, said I ain’t playing with the starters I want the g league guys, then whooped the starters by himself, left and did an interview and threw everyone under the bus.
He’s the last person you want to provoke and go at, why not say that to Cody or Caleb Martin who was having a good night. Maybe throw him off his game. Atleast Grant could go 1 on 1 with Martin and lock him up
Celtics need to step on the gas, they are getting out hustled, and mentally fatigued late in these 1st two games.
Tough to win a championship on the road, but after the season Boston had, I have to imagine they can make an adjustment.
They hung their hat on defense last season, but Udoka not being there, or something else has knocked them off that perch this season
Shattered Boston should have went with the guy with dreads over Horford down the stretch!
“:Should have went with the guy with dreads”
Ok,