In a Game 7 that included stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday, it was Celtics' Grant Williams who led all scorers with a breakout game that will not soon be forgotten.
The former No. 22 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft had the game of a lifetime, lighting it up for 27 points on seven 3-pointers to give the Celtics a commanding 28-point win over the Bucks to knock off the defending champions.
MORE: Live updates from Celtics-Bucks Game 7
Williams' seven 3-pointers matched the greatest shooter in NBA history and also played a huge role in the Celtics' producing one of the most prolific 3-point shooting games in NBA playoff history.
Before you move on to an Eastern Conference Finals series between the Celtics and Heat, take a look at some jaw-dropping numbers from the decisive Game 7.
PREVIEW: Celtics vs. Heat Eastern Conference Finals
7: Grant Williams' 3-pointers made, tying Stephen Curry and Marcus Morris Sr. for most in Game 7 history
Williams knocked down seven 3-pointers in Game 7, tying him with Stephen Curry and Marcus Morris Sr. for the most made 3s in Game 7 history.
Williams' 18 attempts from 3-point range were the most in Game 7 history and he also doubled his previous career-high of attempts in a game (9).
☘️ The Grant Williams Show ☘️pic.twitter.com/qr32YInPbm
— NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2022
The Bucks made it clear early on in the game that they were willing to let Williams beat them from the perimeter. Williams had shot a combined 2-for-14 from beyond the arc in the previous four games in the series but caught fire at the right time, matching a record of the greatest shooter in NBA history.
After the game, head coach Ime Udoka said he used the Bucks' perceived gameplan as motivation for Williams' big night.
"I told him, 'They're disrespecting you more tonight than earlier in this series,'" Udoka said of his words to Williams. "I told him to let it fly."
As a result, we got "The Grant Williams Game" to close out the series.
22: Celtics' 3-pointers made, the most in Game 7 history
It wasn't just Williams, either. The Celtics, as a team, were on fire from 3-point range.
Boston knocked down 22 of its 55 3-point attempts, both of which set Game 7 records in NBA history.
The LA Clippers previously held the Game 7 record with 20 3-pointers made in the 2021 NBA Playoffs – the same game where Morris buried his record-tying seven 3s.
Prior to this game, no team in NBA history had even attempted 50 3-pointers in a Game 7.
Williams' seven 3-pointers led the team, but Jayson Tatum (5 3-pointers), Payton Pritchard (4) and Jaylen Brown (2) all buried multiple 3s. Marcus Smart and Derrick White each had one 3-pointer, while even Malik Fitts and Aaron Nesmith buried 3-balls in the final minutes of the game.
The Celtics' 22 3s and 55 attempts were both franchise playoff records.
54: Celtics' 3-point advantage over Bucks in Game 7
3-point shooting made all the difference as the Celtics' outscored the Bucks by 54 points from beyond the arc in Game 7.
The Bucks shot 4-for-33 from 3-point range – an ugly 12.1 percent conversion rate. According to StatMuse, that was the second-worst 3-point percentage in NBA playoff history by any team with at least 30 attempts from deep.
The Bucks went 4-33 (12.1%) from three in Game 7.
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 15, 2022
The 2nd worst 3P% in a playoff game ever with 30+ attempts. pic.twitter.com/lep7utzhai
Bobby Portis was the only player who hit more than one 3-pointer. Jrue Holiday went 0-for-6, Brook Lopez went 1-for-6, Pat Connaughton went 0-for-5, Grayson Allen went 0-for-4 and Wesley Matthews went 0-for-3.
As ESPN Australia's Kane Pitman pointed out, Boston outscored Milwaukee 327-171 from 3-point range over the seven-game series.
Across seven games, Boston outscore Milwaukee 327-171 from behind the 3-point line. That's difficult to overcome to say the least.
— Kane Pitman (@KanePitman) May 15, 2022
It's safe to say the Bucks were missing their sharpshooting All-Star Khris Middleton, who missed the entire series with a sprained MCL.
