Thrown into the fire Friday night, the two-way big showed just enough to matter moving forward.
A night that featured 130-126, double OT, and everything in between also quietly offered the Celtics (28-16) something else to think about - and it came from a place they weren’t expecting.
Amari Williams didn’t enter Friday’s marathon in Brooklyn (12-31) as part of the plan. He entered because Boston ran out of bodies.
By the time the second overtime rolled around, both Neemias Queta and Luka Garza had fouled out, leaving Joe Mazzulla with little choice but to turn to the two-way big who has spent most of the season either living on the fringes of the rotation or in Portland, ME.
What followed wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly the kind of functional, no-nonsense stretch the Celtics have been searching for behind their primary frontcourt options.
Williams’ emphatic block on Nolan Traore late in double overtime was the headline moment, but it wasn’t the only thing that stood out. He defended the rim with purpose, stayed vertical, and - just as importantly - didn’t clog the offense by trying to do too much. In a game that had already spiraled into chaos, Williams simplified things. Set screens. Rebounded his area.
Protected the paint - that alone felt meaningful.
And that’s where the broader conversation starts.
Boston’s center depth has been an ongoing question all season. Queta brings energy but struggles with fouls. Garza provides offense but is matchup-dependent defensively. Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis are gone.
In that context, Williams’ brief but effective showing matters more than one block in a double-overtime win. If nothing else, he’s shown there’s a baseline level of trust developing. Mazzulla didn’t hide him. He didn’t immediately downsize. He let Williams finish the game.
That opens two realistic paths forward.
Jan 23, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) and forward Amari Williams (77) and center Neemias Queta (88) celebrate after defeating the Brooklyn Nets in double overtime at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)The first is internal.
Williams may not be a nightly rotation piece, but his length, discipline, and willingness to play a low-usage role could make him viable in spot minutes, especially on nights when foul trouble or fatigue strikes. For a team already pushing its core hard - Jaylen Brown logged 46 minutes Friday - having a center who can survive in chaos has real value.
The second path is transactional. If Boston does go hunting for a higher-end center at the deadline or this summer, Williams may have quietly boosted his stock. Teams value young, controllable bigs who defend the rim and don’t demand touches. Even limited proof of concept helps.
Friday wasn’t a coming-out party. It was something more practical.
In a game defined by exhaustion, improvisation, and survival, Williams looked like he belonged.
Whether that means more opportunities in green, or becoming part of a move that reshapes Boston’s frontcourt, the Celtics now have another piece on the board.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.