Al Horford might not have the stats, but has the impact for Boston against Denver
Photo by Juan Domenech on Unsplash
Even at 39, “Average Al Horford” is still causing trouble for opposing teams.
With injuries to Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, Al Horford stepped up this afternoon to help the Boston Celtics beat the Denver Nuggets, deterring a possible three-game losing streak. Horford played for 35 minutes, scoring 19 points and a team-leading three steals. He and Neemias Queta each led the team with three offensive rebounds, culminating in a 110-103 victory over the second-best team in the west.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula said in the postgame press conference that you don’t need to talk to Horford about what he needs to do before a game. He knows his job and his impact goes beyond the stat sheet.
“Most of what he does can’t be measured,” said Mazzula. “He has the innate ability to impact the game in so many different ways, and he’s one of the best players in the league at guarding other best players in the league, no matter the position that they have.”
Horford’s main job for the game was guarding one of the best players in the league Nikola Jokic, and was up for the challenge. Jokic scored 20 points, his lowest total since February 24th, but Horford admitted that sometimes he needed help against the three-time MVP.
“When you go up against a guy like that, it’s not me against him," said Horford. "Everyone has to be synched in, what we need to do and what the game plan is. I felt like where the guys were tonight, they provided that help.”
Games like today show Horford's importance, especially when Porzingis isn't in the lineup. His reliability could be the key to the Celtic's success in the upcoming weeks and in the playoffs ahead. Horford’s been through the battles, playing in 186 playoff games, and knows his role on the court.
Horford has started the last three games for the Celtics, putting up lackluster performances in terms of stats against Detroit and Cleveland However, stats don’t mean much, as Mozzula mentioned. Horford knew that the team needed a victory today and he should enhance his impact. He did that on both sides of the ball.
Celtic's teammates mentioned that Horford’s performance tonight was vital for their success today.
“I think every game he brings it, but [he] just kinda had the extra edge today,” said Derrick White. “I feel like when he’s saving a ball or creating extra possessions for us, that’s when you notice it. I think he definitely had that mindset and we did a better job than we had in the past of finding him. He made big plays for us on both sides of the ball.”
As Jaylen Brown put it, “Al is an ultimate team guy. He’s a great connector for our unit. He does his job night in and night out, so anytime he’s on the floor, he stretches the floor, his shots. Anytime we can get an easy one to him, you know because he’s done all the dirty work on the other side.”
Porzingis could return on Wednesday, but Holiday might be out for some time with his finger injury. If Horford can produce performances like this and remain consistent, he could get some more starts. Horford could be especially helpful against the Lakers on Saturday, where he could go up against Luka Doncic or Lebron James.