Boston Celtics takeaway No. 2) Timelord matches up well with the Joker
Robert Williams absolutely held his own with Serbian superstar, Nikola Jokic.
In the past, this has not been a favorable matchup for Rob. Timelord’s tenacious presence on the glass and ability to guard the Joker on the perimeter were noteworthy sights to see.
Helping lead a team-wide effort to swipe the rock away from the big, leading to Jokic having a near quadruple-double with nine turnovers, Williams’ endless motor and high defensive awareness caused the MVP to have issues tonight.
Obviously, Nikola still finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists for the triple-double.
Going deeper into what was actually an off night for the All-Star, with so many sloppy turnovers and the abnormally low 3-point percentage going 3-10 from distance.
Rob challenged the MVP all night, contesting everything to make for tougher shots. He would finish with a double-double at 15 points and a team-high 16 rebounds.
Savvy defense from the 6-8 center led to three blocks and two steals to boot.
It may not jump out on the stat sheet, but the eye test shows the Boston Celtics using Rob as more of a playmaker on the interior and running some offense through his crafty passing ability.
The C’s starting center of the future just went toe to toe with arguably the best big man in the NBA.
This will always be a takeaway.
Robert Williams will have another incredible test coming against the Sixers with Joel Embiid.