With two free throws to decide the game against an Eastern Conference rival, the Boston Celtics failed to convert on both. That's what happened to Jaylen Brown a few weeks back in an overtime clash against the New York Knicks. It was deja vu for Grant Williams on Monday night.
Williams was fouled on a putback attempt in the final second of regulation against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the score tied, he needed just one make to put the Celtics ahead, but missed on both in embarrassing fashion.
"I'mma make both."
Grant Williams to Donovan Mitchell before missing BOTH free throws in a 109-109 game with 0.8 remaining ššpic.twitter.com/pFDFCDtiN9
ā ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 7, 2023
After the game, Jaylen Brown challenged his Celtics teammate to deal with the adversity the right way. Either he lets it eat at him or finds a way to shed the moment and move forward, via The Athletic's Jay King:
āGrant has had a great career,ā the Celtics star said. āThe reason why heās been successful is because of his confidence. And now is one of the moments where his confidence is going to be tested. A lot of people are now seeing some of the adversity heās going through. And youāve gotta respond as a man. Youāve gotta be better. You canāt let it take you down. You can look at it and go two different ways. You can go up or you can go down. I want him to go up.ā
Brown's advice doesn't just apply to Grant Williams, but also the Celtics at large as they face arguably their roughest patch of the season. Boston has lost three in a row with each defeat coming in a uniquely excruciating fashion. From blowing a near 30-point lead to the Brooklyn Nets, to running out of gas in overtime agains the Knicks, to now being a free throw away from snapping that losing skid. How the Celtics respond to this stretch is crucial as the regular season nears its end and the playoffs soon begin.
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