Horford, the ‘ultimate connector,’ hailed after Celtics’ win
BOSTON — Saturday night marked the 1,314th game in the long and illustrious career of Boston Celtics center Al Horford. Now in his 18th NBA season, Horford long ago got past the point where a run-of-the-mill game in the middle of the season will change his demeanor much — if at all.
But Saturday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers felt anything like a typical regular-season game in March. And Horford — along with Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla and the rest of his teammates — didn’t treat it like one.
Horford played 37 minutes — his second-highest total of the season — and put up 14 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists, all while being relentlessly hunted by the Lakers throughout what became a 111-101 Celtics victory.
The performance afforded his teammates the latest opportunity to lavish praise on their elder statesmen.
“He’s one of one,” Jayson Tatum said. “I’m the biggest Al Horford fan there is. I love that guy.”
“At one point,” Mazzulla said, “I wasn’t coaching. I was just watching him. I was like, ‘Man, this guy’s a future Hall of Famer, and I get to watch this for free.’ You have to be able to have that perspective.”
Added Jaylen Brown: “Al is just old reliable. He’s just the ultimate connector for us on both ends.”
On a night when Mazzulla made it clear he wasn’t messing around — Tatum played more than 45 minutes and Brown played north of 41 — it was Horford’s 11 first-quarter minutes that were the clearest indication that the Celitcs were determined to come out of this showdown against the LeBron James-Luka Doncic Lakers with a win.
And Horford, too, played with an energy level that defied his age and experience. The 38-year-old sprinted down the court on the break for a slam dunk in the first quarter, nearly (and accidentally) taking out Doncic in the process. And, according to Brown, he jokingly called for an alley-oop on another possession.
But it was Horford’s tone-setting defense that really shined.
“You kind of have to prove yourself out there,” Horford said, “and I don’t mind doing that.”
He certainly did.
James, Doncic and Austin Reaves — the top three perimeter scorers for the Lakers, and among the best in the league – isolated Horford 23 times on Saturday, per Second Spectrum tracking data. That’s the second-most isolations against any player in a single game since player tracking began in the 2013-14 season.
The result? Horford allowed 0.39 points per direct play, per Second Spectrum, the second-best efficiency by any player to defend at least 15 isolations in a game in the last 12 seasons.
Overall, the Lakers shot 7 for 23 against Horford, with Doncic and James combining to go 3 for 14.
“For me, it’s just trying to find a way to have an impact,” Horford said. “These types of games always come down to those little details and defending and rebounding, and that’s right up my alley. That’s what I [like] to do. I was excited to be in this position, and that’s my mindset in these games. It’s always been like, playing winning basketball. That’s what I want to do.”
Horford’s been at the heart of a lot of winning in his two stints with the Celtics. Even at this stage of his career, his unique ability as a center who can both spread the floor and be effective offensively, while also moving his feet on the perimeter and being able to adeptly protect the rim, is the kind of weapon few teams possess. And, especially with Jaxson Hayes sitting out with an injury for the Lakers, he gave Los Angeles fits at both ends of the court.
Another veteran, Jrue Holiday, returned after missing 10 days with an injury to the pinkie finger on his right (shooting) hand. Holiday played with a small brace on it and said he would be able to continue doing so moving forward. He finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds and an assist in 34 minutes.
That he returned Saturday was another sign of the way Boston approached this game — as was Mazzulla playing Tatum, Brown and Horford so many minutes.
“I feel like there’s moments that you give those guys chances to be able to be a part of that,” Mazzulla said. “Everybody on this roster is playing for a legacy, and you do it together, and I felt like that was a great moment for them to be able to compete at a high level for as long as they wanted to.
“It’s my way of saying that you better win. And I like watching them play.”
Boston has now won 14 of its last 17 games. During that stretch, Boston — which at 46-18 has the league’s third-best record, behind the Cavaliers and Thunder — has hosted Cleveland, the Denver Nuggets, the New York Knicks and the Lakers. The Celtics have led each of them by at least 20 points in those games.
On Wednesday, Oklahoma City will be at TD Garden for another potential NBA Finals preview. And unsurprisingly, that’ll be another game Horford has circled on his calendar.
“I think it’s good,” Horford said of this stretch of games against elite competition. “It’s good for us and it’s good to play at this level of ball. [The Lakers] have been playing really well, won eight straight I think it was. So yeah, I think these types of games are good for us.
“I would just say I know what we have. I know when it’s time to go, we’ll be ready to go. And now we’re just trying to get better as the season goes on.”
Source: espn.com