Jaylen Brown and C players react to Grant Williams’ serious foul on Tatum originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White summed up Friday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets in a few words during his post-game interview.
“That thing at the end was BS, but we got the win,” he told Kayla Burton of NBC Sports Boston.
Boston got a 124-109 victory in Charlotte, but the final result was overshadowed by a choppy fourth quarter. Former Celtic Grant Williams was sent off with a Flagrant 2 after checking his ex-teammate Jayson Tatum. The Celtics star immediately got up and headed to the free throw line, but Jaylen Brown was visibly upset by Williams’ antics.
“I don’t know what it was about. I think it spoke for itself,” Brown said. “It wasn’t a basketball game. Grant knows better than that…There’s no room for that in the game. I thought JT and Grant were friends. I guess not.”
Williams told NBC Sports Boston’s Kayla Burton after the game that his serious foul was unintentional, adding that he and Tatum are good friends.
“Probably a serious foul, certainly not intentional, certainly not trying to hurt him by any means,” Williams told Burton. “We all know he’s one of my closest friends in the league.”
Brown, however, doesn’t buy Williams’ assertion that the foul was unintentional.
“It was certainly intentional,” he said. “What are we talking about? Did you see the same play? He hit it like it was a football play, Ray Lewis crossing the middle or something.”
Head coach Joe Mazzulla was more level-headed when asked about Williams’ hit on Tatum after the game.
“I’m glad (Tatum) is OK,” Mazzulla said. “What I like the most is the way he jumped, didn’t lie down, it didn’t really bother him. He just got up, walked towards the line of mistakes and did his business.
“I just like the way JT handled the situation,” he added. “It was awesome. Getting hit like that, going back, that’s the big moment.”
The Hornets continued to slump after Williams’ ejection. LaMelo Ball fouled after being hit with a Flagrant 1, and Miles Bridges was cast after obtaining a double technique. All of this happened in the final 2:02 of the game.
It remains to be seen whether Williams will face disciplinary action for her controversial play, but it may have altered her post-match plans; Williams told Burton that he actually planned to host several Celtics players for dinner after the game.
“I guess most of these guys won’t come to dinner tonight,” Williams told Burton. “…I had wings and stuff ready, so it’s kind of funny that the match ended this way. But I’ll see them tomorrow; we’ll compete again.”
We can expect more fireworks when these two teams face off again on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. Coverage begins on NBC Sports Boston at 5:30 p.m. with Celtics pregame live.
