Jimmy Butler, did Grant Williams trash talk fuel you? ‘Yes, it did.’

Be careful about what bear you decide to poke.

The CelticsGrant Williams was feeling it midway through the fourth quarter of Game 2. He had just hit a 3-pointer that put his team up by nine, so on the other end when Jimmy Butler got an and-1 bucket on him in the paint, Grant went forehead to forehead with Butler and talked trash.

From that moment on, Butler scored nine more points, and the Heat closed the game on a 22-9 run to win Game 2 and take a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Celtics.

Postgame, Butler was asked if that exchange fueled his late run.

Yes, it did,” Butler said. “But that’s just competition at its finest. He hit a big shot, started talking to me. I like that. I’m all for that. It makes me key in a lot more. It pushes that will that I have to win a lot more. It makes me smile. It does. When people talk to me, I’m like, OK, I know I’m a decent player, if you want to talk to me out of everybody that you can talk to.

“But it’s just competition. I do respect him, though. He’s a big part of what they try to do. He switches. He can shoot the ball. I just don’t know if I’m the best person to talk to.”

Williams said his trash talk was just part of his competitive nature.

“I’m a competitor. I’m going to battle. He got the best of me tonight. At the end of the day, it is out of respect because I am not going to run away from it. My mom always taught me, my dad as well, you get you’re a** kicked, you don’t come back home until you come to battle again.”

Did Williams’ teammates see it that way? When Jaylen Brown was asked about the exchange, he responded, “Next question.”

Williams’ trash talk is not why the Celtics lost Game 2 at home (the same way it was not all on coach Joe Mazzulla), there were plenty of other factors, such as Jayson Tatum‘s ice-cold fourth quarter or Jaylen Brown’s struggles all game. For two games in a row the Heat have hit tough, contested shots when it mattered and the Celtics have not.

However, it would probably help not to make Jimmy Butler angry. You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.

Check out more on the Celtics

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Jimmy Butler, did Grant Williams trash talk fuel you? ‘Yes, it did.’ originally appeared on NBCSports.com

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