A three-second clip of Grant Williams guarding Kevin Durant in the first quarter during the Celtics‘ Game 2 win over the Nets summed up pretty succinctly why Williams has been so essential to their success in the first two games of the first-round series.
The Celtics have explicitly made it their goal to guard Durant aggressively. Fouls will be called, and that’s fine (although not preferred obviously) — Ime Udoka seems willing to sacrifice trips to the free-throw line if it means Durant can’t get into a groove.
Through two games, nobody has been more physical than Grant Williams.