Al Horford

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.

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.

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.

SAN FRANCISCO — Only Al Horford knows what his daydreamed version of his first game in the NBA Finals would look like, but it might have looked a lot like ...

“Phenomenal. That’s what we need. That’s what we want. “Excited to be able to share this stage with this group of guys. “He puts in the work. Just grateful to be in this position. “Just grateful for this opportunity.

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 ...

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.

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, ...

He pulled that tricky balance off again in Game 1 of the Finals, keeping his teammates focused and leading by example with his late-game execution. “It was the way that we were moving the ball on offense, just being in those positions,” Horford said after the game. Jaylen Brown carried the first half of the Celtics’ comeback, with 10 of his 24 points coming within the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. Horford didn’t exactly have to go out of his way to compliment the effort of his teammates. Horford dished it to Marcus Smart on the next Boston possession, and Smart drained another three. 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.

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.