Al Horford is, in fact, good. What he did in Game 1 of the NBA Finals was greatness.
On a night when the Warriors made life difficult for Jayson Tatum, who ultimately couldn’t overcome the challenge, Horford and others rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter of Game 1, keying a furious comeback that ended up a stunning 12-point win. Horford scored 11 of his 26 points in just the final 5:10 of regulation, including a streak of eight straight points after the C’s tied the game.
The Celtics never looked back from there. Horford dished it to Marcus Smart on the next Boston possession, and Smart drained another three. Smart would hit yet another triple on the following possession, continuing the Celtics’ relentless gut-punch. This was all part of a blistering 17-0 run in the middle of the quarter.
Being the consummate pro and teammate that he is, Horford was quick to credit others and laud the Celtics’ complete team effort over the final 12 minutes.
“It was the way that we were moving the ball on offense, just being in those positions,” Horford said after the game. “I felt like the guys kept finding me time after time. Also Derrick White hit some tough shots there, too. Yeah, it was just get the looks, knock ’em down, that’s that.”
Adam Jones Show | Instant Reactions: Celtics Win Game 1
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Horford didn’t exactly have to go out of his way to compliment the effort of his teammates. White scored 21,…