Robert Williams earned the respect of both Boston fans and his teammates in the final seconds of his first career appearance at the TD Garden Sunday night.
In what became the Celtics’ first win of the preseason over the Charlotte Hornets, the rookie power forward came up with a game-saving block with 16 seconds left on the clock.
The Celtics were just barely winning with a score of 113-112, and the Hornets’ Malik Monk lined up outside the arc for what could be a game-winning three-pointer. Williams, who stands at 6-feet-10-inches, swatted at Monk’s shot from just inside the arc and was able to tip the ball into the hands of teammate Brad Wanamaker.