NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. WARRIORS

June 9, 2022

Grant Williams

Boston Celtics

Practice Day

Q. How much fun was that last night in this building?

GRANT WILLIAMS: It was exciting. Not only was the competitive edge there from both teams, but also the energy in the Garden. We had the fans behind us. They didn't shut up.

That's the best part about it. No matter if we had a bad run or good run, they were there the entire time for us. That's something you love to have as a team.

Q. How do you take some of the chants coming?

GRANT WILLIAMS: Not the worst things I've heard, I feel like. Some of those chants, you just accept. Some people respond to them well, some embrace them; others, they shy away from them.

I feel like the Garden fans don't hold back. That's what I love about them. They're going to be there for you on the positive side, and they're going to let you know whether you're doing the right thing or not. When we were losing last year, they were doing the same thing to us. So we respect it.

Q. How do you take that as a player? Are you motivated by fan chants?

GRANT WILLIAMS: As a player for me, I love it because at the end of the day they're doing it for a reason. So you either accept it, especially if you're on the road, like you're going to get that no matter where you go. You walk down the street, you're going to get something like that.

For me, it's like you got to accept it. You better enjoy it and take it as a competitive edge and use it against them. Next thing you know, you guys go on a run, you shut them up, now you can talk trash back.

Q. How do you keep the momentum going into Game 4?

GRANT WILLIAMS: The biggest thing for us is consistency. We've done a great job at responding to losses. We have to carry that over in wins. For us, it's a matter of making sure we understand exactly what we need to do. This series is going to come down to a lot of simple X's and O's.

For us, it's a matter of executing our job and doing exactly what we need.

Q. Was anything said to Draymond before that little dust-up, or was it just a little shoulder there?

GRANT WILLIAMS: Nothing was said. It was one of those -- actually I did say something (laughter). I just realized. No, it's not PG, so I'm not saying it. Next thing you know, I think that's why the clapping started, then he kind of bumped me, and that's when I took offense.

But it's just that competitive edge. Nothing that leaves the court. If I see him, same thing. If we're on the court, we're opposite ends.

Q. The Warriors are going to be desperate in Game 4. Do the Celtics have to play desperate as well?

GRANT WILLIAMS: This is our first Finals, honestly. If we're not desperate right now, when are you going to be? It's the most important game, one game at a time especially. One game doesn't dictate a series. As much as Game 3 was fun and we can say we won it, that doesn't mean Game 4 is going to be a cakewalk.

For us, we have to come out with the same intensity, but even more because we know how much they're going to come out with a little bit more competitiveness from the beginning and understand that they can't get down big in a place like this.

Q. Did you get the sense last night they weren't as competitive as they should have been, their effort was a little bit lacking early in the game?

GRANT WILLIAMS: Not at all. I wouldn't say they played with lack of effort or lack of attention to detail. I feel like we came out for a little bit, you swing first. Just like in a fight, sometimes you catch somebody off guard, something like that, when you make a good strike, versus they responded well, as you can tell. We were up by 16, 12, almost 19. Got down, they took the lead again.

With this team, you never can relax. They're a team that can put 20 points on the board in a matter of three minutes. No matter how well we start, we have to understand that we need to play with the same intensity because there's no sense of relaxing with those guys on the other team.