Jimmy Butler Makes Celtics Pay After Grant Williams Pokes the Bear in Game 2

Jimmy Butler Makes Celtics Pay After Grant Williams Pokes the Bear in Game 2

Joel Reyes
May 20, 2023 at 6:32 AM
  • The Miami Heat defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 2 on Friday night
  • The Heat rallied from 12 points down in the fourth to take a 2-0 series lead
  • Jimmy Butler punished the Celtics after he had a heated exchange with Grant Williams

The Boston Celtics will head to Miami down 0-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

They suffered a shocking collapse in Game 2, losing 111-105 to the Heat.

Boston fans expressed their displeasure on social media after the Celtics let another winnable game slip away.

Jimmy Butler, Grant Williams, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, Duncan Robinson
Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat exchanges words with Grant Williams of the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 19, 2023. Image: Adam Glanzman
Source: Getty Images

Many placed the blame on Grant Williams, who talked trash to Butler after sinking a three that gave the Celtics a 96-87 lead with 6:37 to go, per ESPN.

Williams blamed for Celtics' loss

Poking the bear proved to be a bad decision for Williams, as Butler and the Heat closed the game on a 24-9 run to steal another win on the road.

Fans compared Williams to Dillon Brooks, who made the mistake of talking trash to LeBron James in the Grizzlies’ first-round series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Fans brought up Williams’ two missed free throws in the regular season against the Cavs after guaranteeing he will make them.

They said Williams is now part of two humiliating plays this season.

Blame Tatum and Brown instead

Other fans said Williams was not the reason for the Celtics’ loss, placing the blame instead on star players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

One fan wrote Brown shot 7 of 23 from the floor, including 1 of 5 in the fourth quarter. The fan ended his tweet by writing, “not Grant’s fault.”

Others placed the blame on Tatum, who was once again a no-show in the fourth quarter. He went 0 for 3 with a couple of turnovers in the final frame.

The Heat took full advantage of Tatum and Brown’s struggles as they erased a 12-point deficit in the final quarter.

Butler dazzles in Game 2

Butler stuffed the stat sheet in Game 2, finishing with 27 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks in 41 minutes of action.

Four other players scored in double figures for the Heat. Starters Bam Adebayo and Max Strus scored 22 and 11 points, respectively.

Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson provided the firepower off the bench, combining for 40 points.

Nuggets rally past Lakers

Sports Brief recently reported on the Nuggets' win over the Lakers in Game 2.

Jamal Murray came up clutch, scoring 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter.

Action shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 with the Lakers trailing 0-2 in the series.

Authors
Joel Reyes photo
Joel Reyes
Joel Reyes is a sports editor at Sportsbrief.com with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines. He has eight years of work experience in sports writing.