There was no shortage of fireworks during the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. One of the most entertaining moments came during Game 2 of the series.
Grant Williams put the Celtics up nine points with a 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter. He followed his big shot with trash talk directed at Heat star Jimmy Butler.
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Williams revealed what he said to Butler on a recent episode of the "Run Your Race" podcast.
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“That’s a funny thing that happened," Williams recalled. "We were playing that game, I think we were up by eight. I’m playing well. And Jimmy says like, ‘Hell nah, he ain’t here.’ So I made a three, I said, ‘Hell no, (expletive), I’m here.'”
Butler responded with a bucket on the ensuing possession while drawing the foul on Williams. That led to more trash talk and the two getting into one another's faces.
“The next thing you know that happens,” Williams said. “The next play, Jimmy, (hesitation), boom boom, stop, pivot, and-one. And he said, ‘I’m here, too, (expletive).’ So, I’m like, ‘I don’t give a (expletive).’
"We’re going back and forth. Me, I’m not backing down. We were missing that in that series. They were punking us the entire time.”
The dust-up gave Miami much-needed momentum as it went on a 24-9 run from that point on. The Heat took a 2-0 series lead with a 111-105 win, then went on to beat the C's in seven games.
Williams' mouth got him in trouble on more than one occasion during his time in Boston. The 24-year-old often got into it with officials and ended up with seven technical fouls during the 2022-23 campaign. There also was that one time he told Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell he'd make both of his free throws to ice the game, only to miss them.
As polarizing of a player Williams is, the C's will miss his presence after trading him to the Dallas Mavericks earlier this summer. He was a solid defender and 3-point shooter off the bench and, despite his loud personality, was a well-liked player in Boston's locker room.
