Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat and Grant Williams of the Boston Celtics had some words on Friday night.
In the end, it was Butler who had the final say, beating the Celtics and providing his team with a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Following the game, Butler spoke about trash-talking that went down between him and Williams.
He called it “competition at its finest” but warned Williams that it only makes him more intent on playing hard and winning.
“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,” Butler told the press.
He added, “I do respect [Williams] though. He’s a big part of what they’re trying to do…I just don’t know if I’m the best person to talk to.”
Jimmy Butler says he’s probably not the best person for Grant Williams to get chippy with
He says the altercation with Williams fueled his fourth quarter burst pic.twitter.com/KownTdQohC
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 20, 2023
For the evening, Butler had 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.
It was the fourth quarter when Butler shined the brightest.
He posted 9 points in the final period and definitely did seem more tuned in and fired up after Williams got into his face.
Butler has been doing amazing things throughout all of the postseason but this is clearly the most important series he and his Heat have had yet.
If they are able to conquer the second-seed Celtics, they will earn their spot in the NBA Finals.
For a team that was all but written off completely just weeks ago, this would be a massive accomplishment.
Butler has been playing with incredible skill and drive, erasing all doubts people had about him in the regular season.
But he has also been playing with a lot of belief in himself too.
It’s easy to see why.
He has referred to himself as a “problem” for other teams and that’s exactly what Butler was on Friday night.
NEXT:
Donovan Mitchell Had Advice For Grant Williams
