In appreciation of Al Horford’s two-way brilliance in the NBA Playoffs
When the Celtics turned to their All-Star in Game 3 of their second round series against the 76ers, Al Horford delivered.
It started with 8.4 seconds remaining in overtime, when Horford scored a layup over Robert Covington off of a beautifully designed set from Brad Stevens that gave the Celtics their first lead of the extra period. It then extended to Horford sealing the deal by picking off Ben Simmons’ pass to Joel Embiid on the ensuing possession and calmly sinking a couple of free throws to extend Boston’s lead to three points when he gave them no choice but to intentionally foul him.
That sequence pushed Horford’s totals for the game to 13 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals, a relatively quiet night for the most accomplished player on the court. And yet, what he did in the second half — from his clutch play on both ends to his individual defense on Embiid in the post — turned out to be the difference in a pivotal game that was decided by one possession.
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Game 3 was actually one of Horford’s quietest all-around performances of these playoffs. He’s in the midst of the best postseason run of his career, with averages of 17.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. Those numbers have had a tremendous impact, too. According to NBA.com, the Celtics have gone from outscoring opponents by 4.6 points per 100 possessions with him on the court to being outscored by 8.5 points per 100 possessions with him on the bench, a remarkable difference considering their average margin of victory through two rounds has been 1.1 points per 100 possessions.
Horford has made his greatest contribution on offense in that regard. Even when he’s not putting up big scoring totals, his outside shooting provides crucial spacing for a Celtics team missing its two best playmakers. It was a factor in the fourth quarter of Game 1 victory over the 76ers, for example, when Horford’s ability to pick-and-pop forced Embiid to make an impossible decision.
Provide help at the rim, and Horford would get a wide open 3-point attempt:
Shade towards him to prevent him from getting the same look again, and it would open up a lane to the basket for someone else to take advantage:
The Celtics have been a different team with Horford at center for that reason. He’s started games at power forward next to Aron Baynes and transitioned to center whenever Baynes has taken a seat on the bench. Baynes has made his presence known at times against the 76ers, but their offense improves significantly when the Celtics surround Horford with Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Morris and Jayson Tatum. While none of them can fill the void of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, they are each threats from the 3-point line and capable of making plays for themselves when Horford’s gravity gives them space to create off the dribble.
It helps that Horford has been a force in the post as well. According to NBA.com, it’s where he’s generated over a quarter of his offense in these playoffs at a rate of 1.24 points per possession, ranking him in the 88.9 percentile. The only players who have scored more points per game in the post than Horford are Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns and LaMarcus Aldridge.
None of them, however, have done so at the same efficiency as Horford.
There aren’t many centers who are as comfortable playing inside and out as Horford is. Whereas his 3-pointers help draw shot blockers away from the rim, his ability to manufacture his own shot with his back to the basket helps him attack mismatches on switches at the end of games. Not even Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has developed into one of the most versatile defenders in the league, stood much of a chance against Horford when the Bucks tried to counter with smaller lineups.
Horford has also shown in these playoffs why he deserved to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation this season. He was the primary defender on Antetokounmpo for much of their first round series and he has alternated between guarding Simmons and Embiid in their second round series. Antetokounmpo still got his numbers against Horford — Semi Ojeleye turned out to be Boston’s best answer to him in the end — but he had his moments against the two-time All-Star.
Simmons and Embiid, on the other hand, have both struggled at times when matched up with Horford.
Game 3 in particular was a nightmare for Embiid and the 76ers. Horford guarded him for the entire overtime period and held him scoreless on 0-for-2 shooting from the field. One of those misses came on the opening possession of the period, when Horford blocked Embiid’s hook shot out of a post-up:
There simply aren’t many players in the league who have the strength to battle with Embiid in the post, the speed to keep up with Simmons off the dribble and the length to contest Antetokounmpo’s shots inside and outside of the paint. Take his versatility off the court, and it’s no wonder why the Celtics have been 4.3 points per 100 possessions worse defensively in these playoffs.
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Unfortunately for the Celtics, the Cavaliers are the one team in the Eastern Conference that can prevent them from making it to the NBA Finals. As talented as Antetokounmpo, Embiid and Simmons are, none of them put as much pressure on a team’s defense as LeBron James does, a lesson Horford has learned time and time again in his career. According to Basketball-Reference, Horford has lost 25 of the 33 regular season games he’s played against James since he came into the NBA in 2007. Horford has had even less success against James in the playoffs, losing 15 of 16 postseason games they’ve played against each other since 2009.
If Horford can take care of business against the 76ers and then somehow end that streak, it’ll help the Celtics keep their magical season alive. If he can’t, it shouldn’t take away from how incredible he’s been over the last three weeks.