Joe Mazzulla defends Grant Williams trash talk to Jimmy Butler in Game 2

BOSTON — Grant Williams’ trash talk with Jimmy Butler did not go well in the fourth quarter of Game 2 for the Celtics. Butler scored nine of his team-high 27 points in the final frame to help Miami rally from a nine-point deficit with six minutes remaining and escape with the win to take a 2-0 series lead.

A scuffle between Williams and Butler led up to that scoring outburst by Butler late that helped Miami run away with the game. In the aftermath of the loss, Joe Mazzulla did not fault Williams for getting entangled with the Heat star.

“I mean, he didn’t do anything wrong necessarily,” Mazzulla said. “So, I don’t think it’s emotions getting the best of him, I thought.”

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Williams talked about his interaction after the game with Butler while paying his respect.

“I think he said something and I just responded,” Williams said. “I’m a competitor and I’m gonna battle. He got the best of me tonight, and at the end of the day it’s out of respect, because I’m not gonna run away from it. My mom always taught me, and my dad as well, you get your ass kicked and you don’t come back home until you come battle again.

“You either come back before you die or you come back and get a win, and I’m not willing to die in this Finals. I’m ready to fucking get a win. I’m ready to come back and come into Game 3 with a better mentality and I know this team is as well. So at the end of the day tonight is tonight. We’ve got to focus in and let this shit hurt, but at the end of the day we’ve gotta come in tomorrow and really focus on what’s next.”

Despite the ugly sequence, Williams performed well in his return to the rotation for the Celtics, finishing with nine points and two rebounds in 26 minutes while finishing 4-of-6 from the field. The performance likely has earned him minutes in the rotation moving forward in this series.

“I just liked his physicality,” Williams said. “I liked his rebounding, his ability to communicate defensively. I thought he gave us some really good minutes.”

The Celtics will look to dig themselves out of a 0-2 hole against Butler and the Heat starting on Sunday night in Miami for Game 3.