A vintage Al Horford performance

With Jayson Tatum having an off sport and the Celtics with out Jrue Vacation and Kristaps Porzingis, somebody needed to step up towards Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on the town. That somebody simply occurred to be the 38 yr outdated ageless surprise Al Horford who turned again the clock and went toe to toe with the 2 time MVP and received.

Horford had 19 factors, 8 rebounds, and three steals on 7-12 taking pictures within the Celtics 110-103 win over the Nuggets on Sunday. This makes him solely the ninth participant in NBA historical past with that stat line at age 38 or older.

Joe Mazzulla was impressed by Horford’s efficiency and talked about how what Al does for the Celtics can’t all the time be measured within the field rating.

“He’s top-of-the-line gamers within the league guarding the opposite greatest gamers within the league, it doesn’t matter what place they’re.” Mazzulla mentioned. “He was simply elite tonight — on the defensive finish of the ground, together with his positioning, his communication, his physicality, his rebounding. It was superb to look at.”

Al was was on the proper place on the proper time to start the sport on offense as his first basket. Luke Kornet rolled to the rim after setting a display for Tatum, bought the ball on the free throw line, and located Horford within the dunkers spot for a simple layup.

One in all my favourite performs of the night time from Horford got here halfway by the primary quarter. After Derrick White missed a 3, Al chased down the rebound, working full pace in the direction of the Celtics bench. As soon as he grabbed it, he flung a one handed move excessive into the air the place it was tipped by Jayson Tatum on the prime of the three level line again to White.

White handed it to Jaylen Brown within the nook the place he missed the three however this hustle play by Horford mustn’t go unnoticed.

His subsequent notable offensive possession got here within the second quarter when he bought a swap on to Jamal Murray. The Celtics attacked Murray on protection all night time and Horford was no exception, backing him down and hitting a pleasant turnaround financial institution over his contest.

To start with of the third quarter, Al made an incredible defensive play on a foul move by Russell Westbrook that resulted in a steal. Brown chased it down and handed it to a streaking Horford on the quick break for a simple dunk.

Horford’s largest play of the night time got here within the fourth quarter with beneath a minute to go within the sport and the Celtics solely up by 5 factors. The Nuggets had been trying to keep within the sport late after they gave the ball to Jamal Murray.

Horford performed some nice protection to not permit Murray by him. Murray tried to throw a move to Jokic, but it surely was deflected by Horford and into the palms of Derrick White. White threw it forward to Jaylen Brown who discovered a large open Horford working in the direction of the basket for a layup, primarily icing the sport.

Jaylen Brown joked after the sport, saying, “He’s presupposed to dunk that, however he has 5 youngsters so we’ll let it slide.”

Guys like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant get plenty of reward for what their capable of do at their age and it appears like Al Horford deserves to be in these conversations as effectively. Horford isn’t the famous person participant these different three are, however he’s nonetheless a authentic contributor on a championship workforce at age 38 and that’s not a standard incidence within the NBA. Horford isn’t anticipated to place up these sort of quantity on a nightly bases however when he does, it’s usually towards the leagues greatest competitors and when the Celtics want him most.