Boston Celtics rookie Grant Williams had a chance to give his team a safe four-point lead with 35 seconds left in Game 7. Unfortunately, Williams missed both free throws which would've banished him from the team. But good for him, Jayson Tatum was able to snag the offensive rebound, saving the Celtics' series and probably Williams' career, too.
Williams shared what was going through his mind during the critical free throws. If he knocked down both free throws, he would've been tagged as the Celtics' hero and a beloved fan favorite. But things didn't pan out that way.
“I was actually super confident going to the line — it’s just two free throws,” Williams said, per Tom Westerholm of Mass Live. “Then when I hit back rim, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s just a back rim. It was a good shot, looked good, felt good.’ And then I shot the next one to the same spot and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness.’ I don’t ever remember a time I missed clutch free throws like that.”
Instead of going down through a hole of depression, Williams can now look back on that moment comfortably. If it wasn't for Tatum, Williams believes that it would've been his last game donning a Celtics jersey.
“It was definitely a laughing moment for me when JT got the rebound,” Williams said. “I was like thank you JT for saving my career here in Boston.”
Williams definitely owes something to Tatum. Hopefully, he can make up for it in the Celtics' Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. Game 1 will be on Tuesday.
Follow Us
Subscribe