NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. WARRIORS

June 4, 2022

Grant Williams

Boston Celtics

Practice Day

Q. Going into that fourth quarter, that communication was probably what was needed more than anything else. Can you talk about the conversations you guys had?

GRANT WILLIAMS: Yeah, for us, it was honestly sticking together. We knew we were going to have a chance to get back into the game. We knew we were going to compete and play until the last whistle, and that's something we all understood and we've done it.

We've been there in the past. We've had games where we've been up by 20 in the fourth and lost them, and we've had games where we've been down 20 and won them. We know the game is never over with, so we played it that way, and everybody supported one another.

You saw how the bench was hyped no matter who was in. Smart, we played with our Defensive Player of the Year on the court for probably seven or eight minutes in the fourth quarter. That just shows amount of depth and growth this team has and the love we have for one another.

Q. Thinking about where you were in January and to where you are now against a team that's been here and done it before and make that come back in the fourth?

GRANT WILLIAMS: Yeah, it shows the amount of growth and togetherness we've had over this year. Everyone has got to know each other not only on the court but off the court, and it's one of those things where everyone feels comfortable with one another. We understand that we are going to be there supporting one another no matter what the outcome is, whether we lost, whether we won.

So it's just exciting to be able to be a part of that and share that joy with one another and continue the success that we've had over the past whatever couple months, but continue that in the future.

Q. Now that you've had a Finals game in your memory bank, what does it feel like?

GRANT WILLIAMS: Surreal. When you first sub in, you're like, this is the moment, this is why you're here. You feel like you want to be there for as long as you can and as much as you can. When people say to you, hope to get back there, when their goal is to get back there, it really inspires you. Some people are content with it, and others get motivated by it. I feel like this team is motivated.

Q. Why did you want to wear the shirts today?

GRANT WILLIAMS: The shirts were super important not only showing our support for our sister that is detained over in Russia, Brittney Griner, we just wanted to show that togetherness and love that we have throughout not only the NBA but the WNBA. She's been a vital part of the WNBA over years past, college, and in the amount of impact she's had on young female athletes, USA and overseas. We hope to have her back in the U.S. and reunited with her family and do what she loves and bring that love and tenacity she always plays with on the court.

Q. Who organized that?

GRANT WILLIAMS: I was able to coordinate that with the WNBAPA and NBAPA. They sent them overnight to get them here for today. They did a phenomenal job, and want to credit them to make that process happen. We just wanted to do that as a team. It was one of those things where no one questioned it. Everyone said, Let's do it. Everyone put the shirt on immediately when we got them, fresh off the box. They were ironed and good to go. So we wanted to show that love and support.

Q. How much confidence does your defense give you when you fell behind?

GRANT WILLIAMS: Our defense is what we rely on. We know and understand that's the most important thing for us. We understand that we can go from a team that may allow 20 points in a quarter to then holding a team to six. That's where we have to hold ourselves to that standard and understanding that's going to change the game for us more than anything else. Something that we've had over the past couple months of the season. We've been the No. 1 defense. Try to continue that and take pride in that and hold it that way.

Q. We know you're a big fan of Draymond Green. How do you match his intensity game-to-game?

GRANT WILLIAMS: Yes, he's going to play with that energy. He's going to push the pace and lead by example, and also good play and communication. Just matching that energy in the sense of you may not ever be what he is, but you can definitely compete and hold yourself to a higher standard because of it. You see the amount of energy he brings to his teammates, and you see how he picks them up when they are going down.

That's something we as a team have grown and gotten better with. Not only just one person, it's the entire unit. We see one brother down, we run over to help him out. You see a person struggling, you're there to not only help them get back their confidence but be there in a situation where he may be struggling off or on the court. Some of them more so like a family than anything else. So it's been amazing for us.

Q. You've had this elite defense, but how do you handle going up against a team that's going to put points on the board? They are going to make a run. They have too many guys and shooters. How do you not lose your focus and stay focused on what you want to do?

GRANT WILLIAMS: Yeah, we understand exactly what shots we want. That's the biggest thing. Making sure that if they are making those shots, you have to live with something. They are NBA players. They are superstars for a reason. They are bound to make a couple shots.

But you can't change your whole game plan because of it. You just have to stick to what you know going to work and the intensity that you have to play with. So that was the biggest thing for us. Like, yes, I know the start of first quarter, Steph had six threes. We understood he's feeling himself right now. He's hot and you just have to take him out of it, things of that nature. You have to understand what you're doing wrong and play with a little more tenacity and intensity and take things away to make it easier.