Celtics Champion Rips Grant Williams For Hard Foul On Jayson Tatum

‘Right there, that was muddling on the line of being dirty’

Grant Williams is known for his hustle plays, but he went a step too far for Celtics fans Friday night.

The Charlotte Hornets forward trucked Jayson Tatum in the final minutes of Boston’s 124-109 win at Spectrum Center. A heated exchange ensued at center court, and Williams was ejected after he was assessed a flagrant 2.

Jaylen Brown questioned his former teammate’s actions, and Williams was criticized on social media. Eddie House joined in on ripping the 25-year-old.

“I was told this when I was a youngster that every brother ain’t a brother,” House said on the NBC Sports Boston postgame show. “And just because we might be cool, there is something right there. That’s not even a play on the ball. That’s something that’s built up in him. That play right there was not a basketball play and that could have done something crazy to Jayson Tatum. Thank god that it wasn’t.”

“He’ll come over and say ‘I was just trying to make a foul.’ We don’t want to hear that, we know that was not a basketball play. Just like Jaylen said, he knows better than that. Or maybe he don’t. Maybe he’s just like, this is what I’m going to do and it don’t matter.

“There are certain ways to set tones in the game to be physical and there are certain ways to be borderline dirty or dirty. Right there, that was muddling on the line of being dirty. That’s something that nobody should condone.”

Williams has a history of hard fouls even on Brown last season when the Celtics played the Dallas Mavericks. However, his flagrant 2 on Friday will cost him money and possibly earn him a suspension.

Boston and Charlotte play each other again Saturday at Spectrum Center.