BOSTON — At this point in Al Horford’s career, the five-time All-Star isn’t quite the same player compared to his prime. That’s natural considering he’s in his 17th year in the league at 37 years old. Of the Celtics’ lauded top-6 players, Horford is the one who sacrificed to come off the bench.
But make no mistake: Horford can still play at an extremely high level. That’s exactly what the big man showcased in the Celtics’ blowout win over the Suns on Thursday. Horford was everywhere, pouring in a season-high 24 points, three rebounds and three steals on 8-for-14 (6-for-10 on 3s) from the field.
“I really liked the mindset of our group tonight,” Horford said. “Just understanding what was in front of us. It’s a long season. Sometimes this kind of happens in the schedule, and for us to find a way to compete and battle, and I felt like we did that all night. We knew we were going to get their best shot and we just stayed the course and continued to make energy plays and continued to play hard.”
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While Horford has accomplished a lot in his NBA career, the lone missing piece on his resume is a ring. The closest he got was the 2022 NBA Finals run with the Celtics, where he experienced a renaissance in his career after getting written off earlier. Now two years later, the C’s have a chance to not only hang Banner No. 18 but get Horford that coveted championship title.
Of course, Horford knows that as he’s been all about sacrifice this season. While he won’t light up the box score on a consistent basis anymore, it’s a luxury for the Celtics knowing they have Horford coming off the bench. Horford’s value also comes in the locker room as the respected veteran, and Jayson Tatum has talked at length about appreciating the big man.
So the Celtics will hope Horford can bring that extra gear in the playoffs. Considering their talented roster, they likely won’t need it on an every-game basis. But there will be moments where Horford can turn it up and showcase his value, much like he did Thursday.
“We have so much love and respect for Al and the things that he’s accomplished in this league,” Tatum said. “We understand how valuable he is to our team. His presence on and off the court. His voice, the way he goes about his job every single day, showing up, being there for us, the ultimate teammate. Somebody we’re really lucky to have.”
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