What the Celtics are saying about Grant Williams’s flagrant foul on Jayson Tatum

Grant Williams slammed into Jayson Tatum at full speed late in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ win over Charlotte Friday night.

Williams was ejected from the game after he was called for a Flagrant 2 foul. He told reporters that the act was not intentional, but Celtics forward Jaylen Brown disagrees.

“I don’t know what that was about. I think that spoke for itself,” Brown said. “I don’t know if Grant missed JT, I don’t know what that was. That just wasn’t a basketball play. Grant knows better than that.”

Celtics guard Derrick White also said that the 6-foot-6, 236-pound Williams should know better than to run into people at full speed when they’re dribbling a basketball.

“Like what JB just said, he obviously wasn’t going for the ball,” White said. “He’s just too damn big to be doing stuff like that and he knows that but JB got our backs always and we know that and we’ve got JT’s back always.”

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who said earlier this week that he’d like to see the NBA bring back fighting, said he liked the physicality in the game.

He also said he liked the response from Tatum, who was hit by actions that resulted in flagrant fouls for two different Hornets players. LaMelo Ball was issued a Flagrant 1 for the contact he made with Tatum while contesting a 3-point shot attempt.

“I’m glad that he’s fine. What I liked most is that he jumped right up. He didn’t lay around. It didn’t really faze him,” Mazzulla said. “He went right up, went to the free-throw line and did his business. I don’t like the fact that he did it. I’m happy that he’s OK, but I’m more happy that he responded to it. Just get up, move on, next play. And the team responded well too, so credit to them.

“I just liked how JT handled it. It was great. Get hit like that, pop right back up. Big time.”

Brown said there’s no place in the game for the way Williams acted Friday night.

“I thought Grant and JT was friends,” Brown said. “I guess not.”

Brown agreed with Mazzulla’s opinion that enduring physical challenges can bring teams closer together.

“I think that brings a side of our team out that we need,” Brown said. “I think that adds another dimension to our team and that’s what we need if we want to continue to win games at a high level. You need a little edge, a little chippyness, a little fight in you. I welcome that as well. I agree with Joe.”

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

---

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.

---