Grant Hill deserved his fourth-quarter ejection for this blindside bodycheck on the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum — and he deserves the fine or suspension that will follow in the coming days.
After the 124-109 Boston win, Williams – a former Celtics teammate of Tatum’s – tried to turn it around as if he was making a play on the ball, and it wasn’t an intentional foul. Here’s what he told Kayla Burton of NBC Sports Boston:
“I think it’s more that he hasn’t seen me more than anything else,” Williams said. “Like, I’m reaching and I’m definitely making contact with his body before I’m reaching; probably a hard foul, definitely not on purpose, not trying to hurt him in any way. We all know he’s one of my closest friends in the league, and as you see, he got up and just walked away.”
Boston’s Jaylen Brown was having none of it.
“I don’t know what it was about. I think that spoke for itself,” Brown said. “That wasn’t a basketball play. Grant knows better than that. … There’s no place in the game for that. I thought JT and Grant were friends. I guess not.”
While you wait for Tatum’s teammates to step up for him, Williams should know he crossed the line when Draymond Green — who collects technical fouls and ejections like they’re Funko Pops — says he crossed the line.
Grant Williams saying it’s not meant to trash JT like that is crazy wild. And he smiles about it.
– Draymond Green (@Money23Green) November 2, 2024
To think that a blindside hit “on ya men” is a smile worthy offense means 1 of 2 things… you have zero awareness or you’re a moron…. And both make you a moron… a moron
– Draymond Green (@Money23Green) November 2, 2024
Expect Williams to be hit with a heavy fine or suspension in the coming days (although the NBA money system is as random as roulette, so don’t hold me to it).
