Horford’s heroics help CA snap the Cavs’ historic winning streak originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
BOSTON — Al Horford turned back the clock on Tuesday night to help the Boston Celtics hand the Cleveland Cavaliers their first loss of the season.
The 38-year-old big man stepped up to provide the C’s 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting (4-5 3-PT). He added seven rebounds and three blocks for an all-around outstanding performance in Boston’s 120-117 NBA Cup win at TD Gardenwhich snapped Cleveland’s 15-game winning streak to open the campaign.
Horford set a season high in points for the second consecutive game after tallying 18 in Saturday’s overtime win against the Toronto Raptorswhen he shot 5-of-10 from 3-point range. That makes him 9-for-15 from beyond the arc over his last two games.
The five-time All-Star has come a long way as a shooter in his illustrious career. Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson, who coached Horford from 2012-16 as an Atlanta Hawks assistant, noticed.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Atkinson said after Tuesday’s game of Horford still playing at a high level. “Because of his elite approach to every day. … Everything off the court. Work ethic, hunger to better yourself, all the things that go into longevity.
“The shooting is incredible. Before it took him time to get it off. Now, he doesn’t need time. … It’s an incredible story. I love the guy. He’s the epitome of a great professional.”
Horford set the tone on both ends of the floor in the Celtics’ victory. C’s coach Joe Mazzulla raved about the 18-year veteran’s ability to lead by example and inspire his teammates.
“He’s just a natural competitor. I don’t think people realize that sometimes because of how quiet of a guy he is, but he’s a natural competitor and he has an ability to inspire people around us,” Mazzulla said.
“He’s a great leader, but sometimes his actions are so loud and his competitiveness is so loud, and I think tonight was one of those nights.”
Horford on fire from 3-point range took some pressure off Jayson Tatum and allowed the Celtics superstar to erupt for 33 points on 6-of-10 shooting from deep. The 26-year-old had a lot of praise for Horford for being a difference maker when he’s on the court.
“I think Al is just a calming presence out there,” Tatum said. He just does so many different things for us. Sometimes they show up on the stat sheet and sometimes they don’t.
“But just him being on the court with us helps our spacing, helps our defense. He’s such a good passer, a willing passer. We’re just a much better team when Al’s out there and being aggressive.”
With big man Kristaps Porzingis still recovering from his leg injury, Horford will continue to play a crucial role in the Celtics’ quest to repeat. Although his age prevents him from playing both back-to-back games, Saturday’s and Tuesday’s games prove that Horford can still find the fountain of youth when his team needs him. His presence will be key even as Porzingis takes his place in the starting lineup.
Horford and the C’s will look to improve to 2-1 in the group stage of the 2024 NBA Cup when they visit the Washington Wizards on Friday night. Tip-off is set for 7 pm ET on NBC Sports Boston.
