The Boston Celtics walked into Cleveland on Sunday night with a short bench, tired legs, and a tough assignment. It was the second night of a back-to-back, and they were without Derrick White, Neemias Queta, and Jayson Tatum. But even with the odds tilted against them, the Celtics nearly led wire-to-wire-until the Cavaliers made things interesting down the stretch.
Boston had built a comfortable cushion in the second half, but Cleveland clawed back late, trimming what had been a double-digit lead all the way down to two. With just 0.6 seconds remaining and the Celtics clinging to a 117-115 edge, the Cavs had the ball and a shot to either tie or win it.
That’s when Joe Mazzulla made a move that turned heads-and ultimately sealed the game.
Enter Amari Williams.
The rookie big man had logged just six minutes all night, and only 28 total for the season. But with the game on the line, Mazzulla subbed him in for one reason: defense. Williams had just been called up from the G League earlier in the week to help fill in for Queta, but now he was being asked to guard the final play of the game.
And he delivered.
As Donovan Mitchell prepared to inbound the ball from the sideline, Williams switched onto Evan Mobley, who had been a force all night with 27 points and 14 rebounds. Mobley caught the ball just inside the arc, squared up, and fired a turnaround jumper with the clock about to hit zero.
Williams was right there-arms up, feet moving, no foul, no space. Just textbook defense from a rookie in the biggest moment of the game.
Mobley’s shot never had a chance. It missed everything. Celtics win.
After the final buzzer, Mazzulla didn’t hold back in his praise for the 6-foot-10 rookie.
“Amari not playing in the game and having to go in in a need-two situation-you don’t understand how important those details are,” Mazzulla told his team. “Every possession gives you a chance, and you end up guarding the guy on that last play. But hey, that’s a great mindset win.”
And that’s exactly what it was-a mindset win. The Celtics didn’t have their full arsenal, they were running on tired legs, and they nearly let it slip away. But when it mattered most, they executed.
Williams may not be a household name yet, but on a night where every possession counted, he stepped up and made the kind of play that keeps coaches up at night-unless it’s their guy making it.
That’s how you earn trust. That’s how you earn minutes. And that’s how you win games in the NBA.