Al Horford

Al Horford can't become the best player drafted by the Atlanta-era Hawks to win an NBA championship. That honor still goes to Pau Gasol even if Horford's ...

Boston Celtics veteran big Al Horford may have drawn some inspiration from Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green with this celebration.

It was a career-high mark for Horford, and the most any player has ever had in their first NBA Finals game. He flexed on them, like Golden State’s Draymond Green, then nailed the free throw. Horford, a mild-mannered big man who already has more than a dozen years of professional experience, made his first appearance in an NBA Finals game on Thursday night.

Boston Celtics forward Al Horford waited 15 seasons to play in an NBA Finals, and he didn't disappoint in his debut.

He had the 3-point basket which put Boston ahead for good, 106-103, on a feed from Payton Pritchard with 5:10 remaining. Horford scored 26 points for Boston, connecting on 9 of 12 shots from the field — including 6 of 8 from 3-point range. In his NBA Finals debut on Thursday, Horford didn't just lead his team in scoring in a 120-108 win over the Golden State Warriors, he made some history in the process.

Horford hit six 3-pointers in Game 1 -- more than he's had in any other game of his career.

An off scoring night for Tatum would typically spell disaster for Boston, but the team's depth was on display, and Horford's play on both ends of the floor was at the center of it. The Celtics couldn't have asked for a better performance from Horford, especially on a night where Jayson Tatum was getting swarmed on defense and had to instead make an impact with his passing. He combined to go just 2 of 12 from long range in Games 6 and 7 against the Heat, and finished with just eight points in those two contests. It was Horford's 3-pointer with five minutes left that gave Boston the final lead of the game. Let's take a moment to appreciate the reclamation journey of Al Horford. In November 2020 he was getting shipped off to the Oklahoma City Thunder after his time with the Philadelphia 76ers came to an unceremonious end. From the opening quarter of Game 1 Horford was rolling.

Jan 28, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) prepares for a game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena.

NBA fans appreciated Horford’s big game and updated his Wikipedia page accordingly. Al Horford’s Wikipedia acting accordinglyhttps://t.co/B2BTS1GFMC pic.twitter.com/E9QtRuPHeu Horford went 9/12 for 26 points while helping his Boston Celtics score a 120-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

Boston Celtics forward Al Horford waited 15 seasons to play in an NBA Finals, and he didn't disappoint in his debut.

He had the 3-point basket which put Boston ahead for good, 106-103, on a feed from Payton Pritchard with 5:10 remaining. Horford scored 26 points for Boston, connecting on 9 of 12 shots from the field — including 6 of 8 from 3-point range. In his NBA Finals debut on Thursday, Horford didn't just lead his team in scoring in a 120-108 win over the Golden State Warriors, he made some history in the process.

On his last day as a 35-year-old, Al Horford scored 26 points in the NBA Finals, leading the Celtics over the Warriors in Game 1.

Horford was the most dependable Celtic through three quarters Thursday, scoring 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting and playing sound defense. But Horford’s long journey to this point makes it all the more satisfying. Horford’s record of 141 career playoff games before a Finals appearance drew plenty of attention leading up to Boston’s Game 1 victory Thursday. In some ways, it’s a shame it took Horford so long to reach this stage. Allen Iverson scored 48 in his first Finals game in 2001. His contract was so onerous, it appeared he might toil in Oklahoma City years before it’d make sense to flip him. Three years ago, Al Horford felt the clock ticking on his career and a chance to win a title.

Boston's veteran center Al Horford was brilliant, helping lead the Celtics to a 120-108 win over the Warriors in Game 1, his NBA Finals debut.

“We’ve seen the teams that rely on guys in the playoffs — whether it was Brooklyn the first round with Durant, Milwaukee with Antetokounmpo and Miami with [Jimmy] Butler — we know if you take those guys out, teams are going to struggle. “He played amazing and carried us and lead us to victory,” said Jaylen Brown, adding, “We win as a team. And in the end he picked up the slack for Tatum and helped deliver an opening victory. By the time he went back to the bench, his and-one had them up 120-105 with 48.3 seconds left. He’d adjusted well on defense, stepping up with Robert Williams III to switch and close out on shooters. That’s an eternity granted to precious few, and he didn’t wait that long to not seize his opportunity with both hands. … And it’s just fun to see all that come together.” Al is the OG, man,” said Marcus Smart. “He puts in the work. Not with that fourth quarter. That quiet confidence never wavered, even after a 23-24 start through Jan. 21. Not with that defense. As Tatum suffered through a rare off night, Horford was nothing less than brilliant in his NBA Finals debut.

The veteran big man dropped a team-high 26 points to help the Celtics stun the Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

When the Celtics needed him most, he stepped up, and it results in a win. That’s what he does, that’s what he’s been doing, and he’s been that catalyst for us the whole year. Despite his eyes-on-the-prize mentality and constant humbleness, the ever-professional Horford delivered once again in Game 1. The Warriors shot just 2-for-8 from deep in the fourth. The performance marked his fifth 20-point performance of the postseason. However, despite his incredible Game 1 performance, Horford is still laser-focused on the task ahead. His scoring came at a crucial time, too, as he hit two threes in a row to put the Celtics up by six with 4:49 remaining. Horford was calm, cool, and collected in the fourth as the Celtics chipped away at the Golden State Warriors’ lead. He earned some high praise from his teammates after the game, too. We knew that it was only a matter of time for him to have a big game, and continue to have a big game. The way that he carries himself professionally, the professionalism he comes into this game with everyday. Boston was down 12 points heading into the fourth quarter, but luckily for them, that’s when Horford decided to kick things into high gear.

Just a couple of offseasons ago, the Philadelphia 76ers made several critical personnel moves, which caused quite a stir in the city of Brotherly Love.

In his first nine minutes on the floor coming out of the half, Horford dropped seven points, going 2-3 from beyond the arc. Horford was quiet for the first 17 minutes of the game as he scored just eight points off of five shots. In the first 12 minutes of action, Curry went 6-8 from three, scoring 21 points. The move was met with tons of criticism aimed towards the Celtics as one season in Philadelphia and OKC left many to believe Horford’s best days were well behind him. However, fitting Embiid and Horford together in the same starting lineup was a challenge for the 76ers. Last offseason, the Thunder moved Horford once again so he could make his return to Boston for a second stint.

The big man — who had been cast away, tossed aside — celebrated his 36th birthday in a way no one else could, with a fourth quarter that cemented the win.

You know, kind of like the odds of Horford regaining his form after two trying seasons away from Boston in Philadelphia and Oklahoma City. The shot came from four feet, his closest attempt all night, ironically. He came out his first Finals game and played amazing. After White (21 points) tied the game at 103 on — what else? Horford’s tale was the Old Man and the Three. They came in and earned the win.” They knocked down every big shot in the fourth quarter. “They were moving the ball really well, and they had us on our heels. Nobody does that to the three-time champion Warriors and Stephen Curry, who have defined a generation of basketball with their balletic ball movement and limitless 3-point shooting. It’s going to be tough to beat Boston if they are making 21 threes and they are getting a combined 11 from Horford and [Derrick] White. The Celtics aren’t in the Finals without Horford, and they’re definitely not three wins away from Banner No. 18 without his Game 1 heroics, which included scoring 11 fourth-quarter points without a miss to help propel a 40-16 fourth-quarter barrage that flipped the outcome and the script. Boston rallied from a dozen-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 120-108 win.

Al Horford spent his final day as a 35-year-old playing in -- and winning -- the first NBA Finals game of his career.

"Just grateful to be in this position. He's not always going to knock down six of his eight three-point attempts, but the Celtics can count on him as a lethal threat from downtown. Multiple trips to the fountain of youth? Nope. Just Al Horford being his usual self, contributing to Celtics wins in every way possible. And his teammates are happy for him too, grateful that the veteran is back in Boston providing the calming presence this Celtics team so badly needed ahead of the season. "He puts in the work. He is the only player this postseason to put up such shooting numbers. Horford capped off his night with a layup while he was being fouled by Green, and was subbed out after completing the three-point play. He snagged an offensive rebound on Boston's next possession, and swung it to Marcus Smart for another Boston three to build the lead to 114-103. He was 9-for-12 from the floor, and six of those makes were from downtown. He hit a mid-range jumper his next trip down the floor. The Celtics forward even made a little history as he played a big role in Boston's 120-108 comeback victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Students in Lawrence celebrated the Boston Celtics Game 1 win and big man Al Horford's 36th birthday Friday. Horford is the first Dominican player to make ...

In college, Al Horford won back-to-back national championships with the Florida Gators. At the game's highest level, he's waited far longer just for the ...

That's what he does, that's what he's been doing, and he's been that catalyst for us this whole year." He puts in the work. Brown added: He came out in his first Finals game, and he played amazing. Eleven of his points came in the Celtics' fourth-quarter comeback, and with the score knotted at 103, he produced back-to-back threes and a baseline jumper, an 8-0 run that gave Boston the lead and some cushion in the final stages. I felt like the guys kept finding me time after time." When Horford's Hawks won 60 games, then got swept by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015; when the Celtics went from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward to imploding with them back in the fold.

Boston Celtics forward Al Horford waited 15 seasons to play in an NBA Finals, and he didn't disappoint in his debut.

He had the 3-point basket which put Boston ahead for good, 106-103, on a feed from Payton Pritchard with 5:10 remaining. "It was the way that we were moving the ball on offense," Horford said. Horford scored 26 points for Boston, connecting on 9 of 12 shots from the field -- including 6 of 8 from 3-point range.

Al Horford led Boston in three-point shooting amid the Celtics' comeback effort to defeat the Golden State Warriors in Game 1.

Stay tuned to AllGators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Horford, a two-time national champion at Florida from 2004-07, also posted six rebounds and three assists throughout his Finals debut. Former Florida Gators forward Al Horford made the most of his minutes in crunch time in his first NBA Finals appearance on Thursday evening.

Al Horford sealed his 2022 NBA Finals Game 1 performance with a kiss. The Boston Celtics vet had a masterful first-ever Finals contest, going 9-of-12 from ...

SAN FRANCISCO – Alone in the corner of a cramped visitor's locker room in Dallas more than 850 days and two teams ago, a 33-year-old Al Horford politely ...

But we all know it’s unlikely Tatum will continue to pile up 3-for-17 shooting performances in this series. White was certainly feeling it in Game 1, especially in the second half, when he shot 2-for-3 from 3-point range in the fourth as Boston outscored the high-powered Warriors 40-16 in that final frame. But the veteran made his presence felt painfully for Golden State in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, by lighting up the Warriors for 26 points on the eve of his 36th birthday. In handing Horford his well-deserved flowers, we’d be remiss not to mention the spark Brown provided in ensuring Boston would finish as the first team to win a Finals outing by double digits after trailing by 10 points or more (12 to be exact) at the start of the fourth quarter. Curry has now put together six NBA Finals outings in which he’s made at least 7 3-pointers. Curry’s 21 points registered as the most in a Finals quarter since Michael Jordan put up 22 in the fourth quarter of 1993’s Game 4 vs. After defending Dallas superstar guard Luka Doncic in the Western Conference finals, Wiggins draws another tough assignment in trying to slow down Tatum and Brown. The 27-year-old stood strong in Game 1. We saw a vintage Curry performance, as the 34-year-old torched Boston to set an NBA Finals record for the most 3-pointers made in a quarter (six). The veteran missed his first 3, then smoked the Celtics by shooting 6-for-8 from downtown as Golden State built a 7-point lead. As colleague Shaun Powell astutely notes, the five-time All-Star also provided veteran leadership and fierce defense in crucial moments, elements that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet. Across the first 16 games of the postseason, White shot 10-for-48 from 3-point range. “Just excited to be able to share this stage with these group of guys,” Horford said. “I always play to win and for my teams to do well, but you definitely want to be recognized.”

The last time Al Horford was on the national stage with this much on the line was during his time in college when he was fighting to win back-to-back natio.

“The group that started the fourth quarter, I think, did a great job setting the tone,” Horford said. The Celtics beat the Nets, Bucks, and Heat on their way to their first Finals trip since 2010. Horford scored 11 points in the final frame, including back-to-back triples and a mid-range jumper, to give the Celtics a lead they would never give up. When they did, Golden State had no answers for Horford or Brown, who scored a combined 21 points when it mattered the most in Game 1. After 15 years in the NBA, Horford is finally back on that championship stage with the Celtics. Those type of games, I just felt comfortable out here, and I wanted to project that to the group.”

Al Horford had plenty of fun at Chase Center on Thursday night while dropping a team-high 26 -points in the Celtics' NBA Finals Game 1 win over the ...

Horford isn't a huge trash-talker, but he still plays with a competitive fire, as Celtics fans saw after his dunk on Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier in the postseason. "Just grateful to be in this position," Horford said. Even if Horford wasn't toying with Warriors fans, it does appear he enjoyed himself at Draymond Green's expense.