Williams relives Finals moment he realized Steph was ‘different’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Losing an NBA championship is never easy and often difficult to overcome. Dallas Mavericks forward Grant Williams is still haunted by what happened in the 2022 NBA Finals against the Warriors.
Williams, who was with the Boston Celtics, identified Game 4 and Steph Curry for breaking his and the team’s heart. The Celtics were two games to one in the series heading into Game 4, with their eye on a 3-1 lead and thinking it was time for a title shot.
However, Curry had other plans for Williams and Co. as the Warriors star exploded for 43 points in a 103-90 win at TD Garden.
“We’re coming into the final, we’re up 2-1,” Grant said on the latest episode of “Run Your Race” (h/t ClutchPoints). “We’re like, ‘Aw s–t, it’s our time. We’re about to go get him. Game 4, we’re leading all the way. We’re like, ‘We’re getting 3-1; we could go back to Golden State and win this.’…Charlotte, North Carolina boys. This man was different. Different, bro.
While the sting likely remains for Williams, now a full year away from what happened in Boston, the 24-year-old can’t help but appreciate the grandeur of what he’s seen firsthand.
“It’s like one of those things where I look back, and I’m like, ‘He’s tough,'” Williams continued. “…I remember watching it [before I was in the NBA]; it was absurd to watch then, [when] I played against him, I was like, ‘He’s different.’ »
The Warriors’ victory in Game 4 proved to be the turning point of the series. Golden State left Boston with a split and would not lose another game as Curry and the Warriors beat the Celtics in six games to win the franchise’s fourth NBA title in eight seasons.
As for the Celtics, the team that reached the 2022 NBA Finals went through several changes. Williams and Marcus Smart were essential players on the team. Nonetheless, the two are gone as Boston again tries to find the right formula to reach another NBA Finals.
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