If you’re a Celtics fan looking for a pick-me-up after Boston’s stunning NBA Cup loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, we have three words for you: Robert Williams highlights.
The former Celtics big man missed the Portland Trail Blazers’ first nine games while recovering from offseason knee surgery but returned to the court last Friday, recording 13 points on 4 of 5 shooting in his 2024-25 season debut.
On Tuesday night, however, Williams delivered one of the most impressive stat lines of his NBA career to date.
The seventh-year big man racked up 19 points on 9 of 10 shooting while adding nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks in 25 minutes off the bench to help Portland upset the Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA Cup play.
According to Basketball Reference’s Stathead, Williams is just the second player in NBA history to record at least 15 points, three blocks and three steals in a game while shooting at least 90 percent from the floor. The other? Hall of Famer James Worthy in 1983.
Robert Williams tonight:
19 PTS
9 REB (team-high)
3 STL (team-high)
3 BLK (team-high)
9-10 FG (team-high)The first bench player with a 15/3s/3b game on 90 FG% since James Worthy in 1983. https://t.co/EkEo16iasN
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 13, 2024
Williams was at his high-flying best on Tuesday night, throwing down thunderous dunks off lob passes while protecting the rim with multiple blocks. (Check out full game highlights here.)
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— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) November 13, 2024
Celtics fans remember this version of “Time Lord” well; the C’s first-round pick in 2018 (27th overall) blossomed into a dynamic rim-runner in Boston and played a key role in the team’s run to the 2022 NBA Finals. He averaged a near double-double (10 points and 9.6 rebounds per game) during the 2021-22 season while earning Second Team All-Defense honors.
Unfortunately, injuries have been Williams’ Achilles heel. That 2021-22 season was the only time he played more than 60 games in one campaign, and he appeared in just six games for the Blazers last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Williams may not be long for Portland; he has a very tradeable contract (four years, $48 million) and could draw interest from NBA contenders ahead of the February trade deadline if he can stay healthy. Wherever Williams ends up, though, here’s hoping injury luck is on his side so we can witness more highlights like the ones he delivered Tuesday night.