BOSTON — The Celtics had a nine point lead with just over six minutes remaining in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals.
They lost.
The Miami Heat took complete control of the game from that point, with Jimmy Butler scoring nine of his 27 points over the final seven minutes to go along with eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. You probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the Heat superstar took over immediately following a tense exchange with Grant Williams.
Williams made a three to push the Celtics’ lead to nine, jawing in the direction of Butler down the court. That’s when Butler came back down and singled out Williams to go one-on-one, backing him down in the post and scoring while being fouled. Butler then shot some words at Williams, with the Tennessee product shooting some back.
The moment was one that you’d expect from any playoff series, but the subsequent explosion from the six-time All-Star was enough to draw criticism for Williams from Celtics fans. Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t think those criticisms were warranted, however, even going as far as to slide a few compliments in the direction of his forward after the game.
“I just liked his physicality,” Mazzulla said postgame. “I liked his rebounding, his ability to communicate defensively. I thought he gave us some really good minutes.”
And for the dust up with Butler?
“I mean, he didn’t do anything wrong necessarily. So, I don’t think it’s emotions getting the best of him.”
Williams had a solid showing in the box score, as he finished with nine points, two rebounds, two assists and one block in his first 26 minutes of the series. There just happened to be the exchange with Butler, which was a case of poking the bear at the wrong time. It was a similar situation to that of losses in Cleveland and Utah during the regular season, where unfortunate mistakes/moments allowed fans to use Williams as a scapegoat.
The Celtics will have an opportunity to bounce back when they head down to Miami for Game 3 on Sunday. It remains to be seen if Williams, who has had an inconsistent role all year under Mazzulla, will also get his chance to bounce back.
If he does, you can bet he won’t back down.
