Grant Williams Reacts to Heated Altercation With Jimmy Butler

The Miami Heat hold a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

An unlikely confrontation between Jimmy Butler and Grant Williams might've been the difference-maker in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

With 6:37 left in the fourth quarter, Williams lifted the Boston Celtics to a 96-87 lead with a successful three-point attempt. Butler countered back with a shot over Williams from inside the paint, which resulted in an intense exchange of words between the two players. 

After Butler and Williams were restrained by teammates, the Miami Heat went on a 24-9 run to end the game. Butler scored nine points, the same amount as Boston's lineup during that stretch. 

The Heat outscored the Celtics 24-9 after this Jimmy and Grant face-off 😳🌶️ pic.twitter.com/517RREFVWW

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 20, 2023

After the game, Williams reacted to the altercation. 

"I’m a competitor. I’m going to battle. He got the best of me tonight. At the end of the day, it’s out of respect," said Williams via NBC Sports Boston. "Because I’m not going to run away from it. My mom always taught me, and my dad as well, you get your (expletive) kicked, you don’t come back home until you come to battle again. You either come back before you die or you come back and get a win, and I'm not willing to die in this finals."

Williams aims to keep his intensity high for the remainder of the Eastern Conference Finals.  

"No matter if I lit him up tonight or not, he is going to do that," said Williams. "For me, it's a matter of understanding, yeah, sure, you did 'poke a bear.' And how are you going to respond? Because for me, he made some tough shots. It's a battle. And I am going to keep battling. He's going to have to make every single tough shot the rest of the series. I am not going to turn and look otherwise, because I respect him as a (expletive) player."

Butler also responded to the incident. 

"Yes, it did," Butler said when asked if the altercation impacted his performance. "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."

Game 3 of the Celtics-Heat series is set for Sunday night at 8:30 pm.

Further Reading

Here's What Stood Out in Game 2 Loss: Celtics Blow 12-Point Fourth-Quarter Lead, Go to Miami Down 0-2

Joe Mazzulla Explains Playing Payton Pritchard but Not Grant Williams in Game 1 of Eastern Conference Finals

Joe Mazzulla Reflects on Celtics' Latest Third-Quarter Letdown: 'We Have to Have the Understanding You Just Can't Relax'

Marcus Smart Defends Joe Mazzulla's Strategy After Game 1 Loss to Miami Heat

Celtics Discuss Heat Outscoring Them 46-25 in Third Quarter of Game 1: 'We Allowed Them to Do What They Wanted'

Celtics Address 'Letting Go of the Rope' After Game 1 Loss to Heat

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 1 Loss: Heat's Third-Quarter Haymaker Propels Them to 1-0 Lead

Jaylen Brown Discusses Whether Making an All-NBA Team Provides Clarity About His Future