PHILADELPHIA — Grant Williams was writhing on the court in pain. He was holding his face, crouched down with two knees on the floor, and finally emerged to go take a seat on the Celtics bench. His face was bloodied.
The Celtics forward had just taken the shot of all shots. As Jaylen Brown fouled Joel Embiid with 5:08 remaining in the fourth quarter, bodies were flying. Brown had dove to the floor for a loose ball, and he took bodies with him. He collided with Williams. As they both crashed to the floor, Embiid was trying to keep his balance when he inadvertently stomped straight on Williams’ head.
All the weight of the 76ers 280-pounder’s right foot, right on Williams’ skull.
“When I saw Grant get his head stepped on by a 300-pound individual, to see that live was crazy, seeing that in real time,” Brown said. “It was probably the craziest thing I’ve seen on a basketball court.”
Williams found the video after the game, and though he had already lived it, the visual was just as jarring.
“Dang, I really got curb stomped,” Williams said.
Williams, of course, left the game. But only briefly. He was attended to by Celtics trainers for a minute before he checked back in. It seemed as though he had escaped a potentially serious injury from the stomp, and Embiid made sure to apologize to him when they met back on the court.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had no issue putting Williams right back into the fire.
“He can handle it,” Mazzulla said.
The sequence was another example of how much Williams means to the Celtics, especially in this series against Embiid. Williams didn’t score a point in Friday night’s Game 3 victory, but continued to play admirable defense, and take a violent shot to his head, in doing so. During a tumultuous season in which his minutes and role has declined, his willingness to do what is asked whenever needed continues to go a long way.
“I didn’t see what actually happened until after the game. That was kind of nasty,” Jayson Tatum said. “Obviously, it was incidental, but I said it earlier, Grant does a lot of things that don’t always show up in the stat sheet. His value to our team is extremely important. I think that really showed tonight. …
“That (uncertain playing time) has to be tough, but I think that’s a testament to his character and him being a professional. Staying ready. On off days, Grant is in there playing 5-on-5 with the low-minute guys, and not necessarily knowing when he’s going to play, but just being ready. We talk to him all the time of just keeping your head, we’re going to need you at some point. You’re going to play tonight. Tonight showed that.”