Celtics big man Robert Williams made his return to the floor Tuesday night during Boston’s Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.
Williams, who did not play in the final four games of Boston’s semifinal series against the Milwaukee Bucks, was thrust back into the starting lineup as the Celtics were without both Marcus Smart and Al Horford for the series opener. And despite the 118-107 defeat, Williams responded in a big way.
“It felt good to get back out there,” Williams said during a video conference Wednesday morning. “Thankfully, I made it through the game. It just felt good being back out there with my team.”
Williams played 28 minutes in the contest. He finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
“I’m feeling good,” Williams said. “Yeah, I for sure felt like myself out there. It was just getting back out there, getting my wind under me.”
The Celtics’ fourth-year center, though, did provide a bit of a scare as he briefly grabbed his leg during the fourth quarter. It ended up being only cramps, as shared by Celtics head coach Ime Udoka after the game.
“Yeah, last night was cramps,” Williams said, noting how he was trying to get back on the court. “I know when they see me start grabbing my knee everybody starts panicking. But, I was trying to tell them I was just cramping, basic fatigue.”
Williams was made available for Game 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, but Udoka was not forced to throw him into the mix with Boston running away from Milwaukee in the second half. It gave the Celtics star a few extra days to rest and helped him look fresh as he was bouncing out of the gym early on.
The Celtics will look to Williams to do much of the same Thursday as they take the floor against the Heat in Game 2.
