The Boston Celtics took care of business with a 124-109 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, but the real fireworks started after the final buzzer. Celtics star Jaylen Brown unleashed a verbal tirade against former teammate Grant Williams for a hard foul on Jayson Tatum in the fourth quarter that led to Williams’ ejection.
With under two minutes remaining and the Celtics comfortably ahead, Williams plowed into Tatum from the side as the All-Star forward was dribbling near halfcourt. Tatum hit the deck hard but quickly bounced back up. Brown immediately confronted Williams, getting in his face and jawing at him.
“Like, what are we talking about? Y’all see the same play that I was seeing? He hit him like it was a football play. Like, Ray Lewis coming across the middle or something.”
– Jaylen Brown on Grant Williams’ foul
The officials assessed Williams a flagrant foul 2 and ejected him from the game. But Brown wasn’t done airing his grievances. In his postgame comments, he didn’t mince words about the play or his former teammate.
“Grant knows better than that,” Brown said emphatically. “I thought JT and Grant were friends. … I guess not.”
Tempers Flare in Closing Moments
The chippiness continued in the game’s waning seconds. Hornets star LaMelo Ball was called for a flagrant foul on a three-point attempt by Tatum. Then, with under 10 seconds left, Charlotte’s Miles Bridges was also ejected.
Brown said the rough play and apparent message-sending won’t faze the Celtics. “We’re not going for none of that. We’re not — that’s it. We’re just not going,” he declared.
Williams Downplays Incident
For his part, Williams acknowledged the hard foul but insisted there was no ill intent behind it, noting that he and Tatum are close friends. “JB kind of escalated it, but I understand he’s trying to protect his teammate,” Williams told NBC Sports Boston. “But that’s (Tatum) my dog. No matter what, I got his back. … No malice or any issue with that.”
Back-to-Back Meetings Add Intrigue
The Celtics and Hornets won’t have to wait long for their next encounter. In a scheduling quirk, the teams meet again on Saturday night, this time in Boston. After the fireworks and tensions from Friday’s game, all eyes will be watching to see if any bad blood carries over.
Will cooler heads prevail or will more sparks fly? No matter what happens, Jaylen Brown made it crystal clear that he and the Celtics won’t back down from any perceived slight or overly aggressive play. They’re on a mission and won’t let anything – or anyone – derail their focus and unity.
