Celtics
“On the finish of the day, it is out of respect,” Williams mentioned. “I am not going to run away from it.”
Brimming with confidence, Jimmy Butler requested himself a few rhetorical questions as he walked off the TD Backyard ground following Miami’s 111-105 win over the Celtics on Friday evening.
“They thought he was the reply?” Butler mentioned. “Come on. That was the reply to your Jimmy Butler downside? … That may’t be the reply.”
Butler was speaking about Grant Williams. The Celtics didn’t play Williams in any respect in Recreation 1. He logged 26 minutes in Recreation 2, scoring 9 factors on 4-of-6 capturing and spending a substantial period of time guarding Butler.
The Celtics have been up by 9 with 6:22 remaining within the recreation when Butler hit a turnaround jumper over Williams. Williams approached Butler aggressively, placing his face proper up towards Butler’s as the 2 exchanged phrases.
Butler mentioned the confrontation fueled his clutch efficiency down the stretch because the Warmth wrestled the lead away from Boston and closed out the sport.
“Sure it did. However that’s simply competitors. He hit an enormous shot and began speaking to me. I like that,” Butler mentioned. “I’m all for that. It makes me key-in much more and I believe it pushes that can to win much more. It makes me smile, it does … I do respect him, although. He’s an enormous a part of what they’re making an attempt to do. He switches and he can shoot the ball. I simply don’t know if I’m one of the best particular person to speak to.”
After the sport, Williams informed reporters that he doesn’t plan on backing down after Butler scored a team-high 27 factors with eight rebounds and 6 assists and buried the Celtics down the stretch.
“For me, it’s a matter of understanding that ‘certain, you probably did poke the bear’ quote, unquote,” Williams mentioned. “How are you going to reply? For me, he made some robust pictures in a battle. I’m going to maintain battling. He’s going to should make each single robust shot for the remainder of the collection. And I’m not going to show and look in any other case as a result of I respect him as a mom(expletive) participant.”
Jaylen Brown declined to touch upon the scenario when requested about it.
Williams mentioned he was responding to one thing Butler mentioned to him. He mentioned a lesson from his dad and mom motivated his response.
“For me, I’m a competitor. I’m in a battle,” Williams mentioned. “He acquired one of the best of me tonight. On the finish of the day, it’s out of respect. I’m not going to run away from it. My mother at all times taught me, and my dad as properly that for those who get your (expletive) kicked you don’t come again house till you battle once more.”
The Celtics didn’t have a solution for Butler or Bam Adebayo, who posted a 22-point 17-rebound double-double.
Butler sang as he entered the room for his postgame press convention. Morgan Wallen’s 2021 single “Someone’s Drawback” blared from the audio system of his smartphone.
Butler definitely has been any individual’s downside on this collection. That any individual is the Celtics.
“Look, I really like that gnarly model of Jimmy, however you get that regardless,” Warmth coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned. “I simply assume folks now are paying much more consideration to him now that we’ve received some video games within the postseason the previous couple of years.”
Join Celtics updates🏀
Get breaking information and evaluation delivered to your inbox throughout basketball season.
Originally posted 2023-05-20 05:00:48.