BOSTON — Al Horford will see action for the Celtics before their regular season debut against the Knicks on Oct. 22 despite sitting out the team’s first four preseason games. The 38-year-old sat out with the remainder of Boston’s usual starting five on Sunday night against the Raptors at TD Garden but there is no cause for concern about the big man. The Celtics still have one preseason game remaining against the Raptors in Toronto on Tuesday night and Horford will take the floor for that contest.
“He’ll play on Tuesday. He’s good,” Joe Mazzulla said of Horford. “He’s ready to go. He’s ramping up, getting in shape, working hard. He’ll play on Tuesday in Toronto.”
Horford will face some additional onus to begin the season for Boston while serving in an expected starting role as Kristaps Porzingis recovers from offseason leg surgery. Horford appeared in 65 games last year for the Celtics, averaging 26.8 minutes per game. He also started 33 games in place of an injured Kristaps Porzingis, averaging 8.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
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Luke Kornet has started three games this preseason in place of Horford and Mazzulla wouldn’t commit one way or another earlier this week whether Horford would start or remain in a bench role upon his return.
“Yeah, just doing whatever makes sense for the team,” Mazzulla said. “Obviously he’s been great for us both coming off the bench and starting, and so we just have to make that decision, whatever we think is best for the team at the time that we’ll do. And it’s a credit to him that he’s open-minded enough to know that. He’ll just do whatever’s best for the team.”
The Celtics will close out their preseason schedule on Tuesday night against the Raptors before getting a week off to rest before the team’s regular season opener against the Knicks on Oct. 22.
