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The Boston Celtics are used to getting a jolt of energy from Robert Williams off the bench, but on Friday night in Milwaukee, they benefited from his spark early on.
After trading Daniel Theis to the Chicago Bulls before Thursday’s trade deadline, the Cs elevated Williams to the starting center spot for the first time all season, and he delivered in every area of the game.
Over the course of 27 minutes, the 23-year-old big man filled the stat sheet with a career-high seven points, nine rebounds, six assists, five blocks and two steals, as he helped lead Boston to a rebound. 122-114 victory over a Milwaukee team that had entered the night with eight consecutive victories under their belt.
“I feel like I did what they asked me to do,” Williams said after the game. “I feel like it generates a lot of energy for me and my teammates. That’s my job.”
His job changed a bit in his starting role, as the Cs didn’t have to rely as much on his scoring as they usually do when he comes off the bench. Instead, they asked him to act more of a facilitator on the offensive side, resulting in the best passing performance of his three-year career.
“He has to create a great synergy with the starters in terms of opening them up and getting them the right look and that sort of thing,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said. “I thought you did a great job tonight.”
Williams did a particularly good job in the first half, which was when he recorded most of his stats: six rebounds, five assists, four blocks and two steals. In the process, he became the first Celtics player in the past 25 seasons to record at least five assists and four blocks in a single half, and only the third NBA player in the past three seasons to accomplish such a feat. joining the perennial MVP candidates. Anthony Davis and Nikola Jokic.
“I don’t think it’s the biggest surprise that scoring opportunities aren’t as present in the starting lineup just because you’re playing against the best players,” Stevens said. “But I thought he did a great job impacting the game with his rebounding and passing, and he’s certainly a threat at the rim.”
Williams’ presence at the rim played a major role in limiting Giannis Antetokounmpo’s scoring production, as the two-time defending league MVP was limited to 16 points on 6 of 12 shots. In fact, no Bucks player managed to eclipse the 20-point mark, which is quite unusual coming from the highest-scoring team in the NBA.
Boston’s defense was at its best when Williams was on the floor, outscoring the Bucks by 19 points during 27 minutes of action. In contrast, the Cs were outscored by 11 points during their 21 minutes on the wing.
For that reason, it was difficult to get him out of the game, but that did not bother the eager young man.
“I felt good playing more minutes, knowing my team needed me there,” Williams said. “The opportunity came, and I am grateful and grateful for it.”
The good news for Williams is that the team will need a lot more of him to move forward. And if he continues to make an impact like he did Friday night, it will be difficult to keep him out of that headline rotation.
