Grant Williams scores eight points in start for Celtics

Grant Williams scores eight points in start for Celtics.

CLEVELAND — Former University of Tennessee basketball player Grant Williams got a start for the Boston Celtics in their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Celtics outlasted the Cavs, 112-106, and Williams scored eight points in the victory.

The former Vol started due to injuries to a pair of Boston’s key regulars. Gordon Hayward missed Wednesday’s game with a knee injury, while Jaylen Brown was sidelined due to a bad hamstring.

Williams, a rookie and a 2019 first-round draft pick, also grabbed five rebounds and dished out an assist for Boston (42-19).

Williams left Rocky Top as the two-time defending Southeastern Conference Player of the Year as a junior.

The Celtics selected him with the No. 22 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.