Grant Williams didn’t play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but his return helped the Boston Celtics extend their fourth quarter lead to 96-87. Williams, however, also ignited a 24-9 run from the Miami Heat after he began jawing with Jimmy Butler.
Williams hit a three-pointer to extend Boston’s lead to nine points with 6:37 left in the game and then began trash talking Butler.
Butler smiled and responded by hitting his next shot and getting fouled by Williams for a three-point play.
Butler and Williams got head-to-head with each other and exchanged words.
“Yes, it did,” Butler said when asked if the exchange got him rolling. “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.
“When people talk to me, I’m like, OK, I know I’m a decent player, if you want to talk to me out of everybody that you can talk to. 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.”