The spotlight was fixated on Grant Williams during the final seconds of regulation Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Boston Celtics forward shrunk in the pressure-packed moment.
Williams couldn't back up his trash talk to Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell as Williams had a chance to break a deadlock with two free-throw attempts and 0.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Williams missed both freebies and for the third time this season, the Celtics fell in overtime to the Cavaliers.
Failing to deliver in that situation had to be demoralizing for Williams, but Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla tried to impart some encouraging words on the fourth-year pro.
"Tell him I love him," Mazzulla told reporters following the 118-114 defeat, as seen on NBC Sports Boston postgame coverage. "It's part of the game. He didn't miss them on purpose. Got to be able to move on from it."
It was a similar message that Mazzulla had for Celtics star Jaylen Brown when he missed two crucial free throws against the New York Knicks in late January.
Brown, who was terrific in the loss by tallying 32 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for a Boston squad missing Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Robert Williams, has responded since that shortcoming.
And now it will be up to Grant Williams to do the same, and Mazzulla certainly believes he can.
"It's just part of it. Grant, the way he is, he'll bounce back. I have full faith in him," Mazzulla said. "I trust all of our guys at the line in that situation. We're going to need him to win, and we're going to need him to be a great team. I look at it more as an opportunity. You just have to in times like this shift your perspective. What are you going to focus on?"
