As the game clock approached 40 seconds, the Nuggets had a chance to turn a 104-99 game into a one-possession contest.
They got the switch they wanted, with Jamal Murray on Al Horford above the three-point line.
Murray tried to dance with Horford on the perimeter but couldn’t shake him. As he drove left, Horford stayed attached, forcing Murray to try and force a pass to Nikola Jokic.
Horford tipped the pass, creating a steal for Boston. Derrick White grabbed the loose ball and sparked a fastbreak. White pushed it ahead to Jaylen Brown on the wing, who stopped near the block and then dished back to Horford, who came barreling down the lane uncontested as Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun overcommitted to stopping Brown.
Horford calmly laid it in, all but sealing the Celtics’ 110-103 victory over the Nuggets.
“He’s supposed to dunk that, but he’s got five kids, so we let him slide,” Jaylen Brown said after the game.
Not throwing down a dunk may have been the only sign that Horford turns 39 years old three months from now. Despite playing over 37 minutes less than 48 hours before in Boston’s loss to Cleveland on Friday night, Horford, as he so often does, turned back the clock and led the Celtics to a win over Jokic and the Nuggets, who sit in second place in the Western Conference, finishing the night with 19 points on 7-of-12 (58.3%) shooting, eight rebounds, and three steals.
“If you take a look at his stat sheet, it doesn’t always show what he does for us,” said Joe Mazzulla. “Most of what he does can’t be measured. He has an innate ability to impact the game in so many different ways. He is one of the best players in the league at guarding other best players in the league, no matter the position that they have. He was just elite tonight. On the defensive end of the floor, with his positioning, his communication, his physicality, his rebounding. It was amazing to watch.”
No matter his role, when the Celtics need Horford, he shows up, especially when one of the league’s premier big men is on the other side. We’ve seen it countless times against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. On Sunday, it was Jokic. Horford went pound for pound with the best player in the world, helping hold Jokic to 20 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists.
“I just like to compete,” Horford said. “It comes down to that. In Jokic’s case, in my opinion, he’s probably the top player in our league right now. There is just so much that he does. He’s so difficult to defend because he’s just unpredictable. What makes it worse is that he plays the right way. He’s looking to make winning plays, and somehow, he still gets all these crazy numbers and these crazy stats. Se, when you go against a guy like that, it’s not me against him. It’s everybody really has to be synced in on what we need to do and what the game plan is. I felt like our guys were tonight, and they provided that help.”
At 38, Horford is still one of the few bigs who can defend the league’s top scorers, no matter the position. It’s rare to find a big with that kind of defensive versatility. It may go unnoticed some nights, but in these big games, it’s impossible to miss.
“Our versatility can go beyond measure,” said Mazzulla. “I mean, one of the best things he does is his positioning and his pick-and-roll communication. It just gives us a ton of versatility. We can play small with him at the five. We can play big. He can play alongside someone else. But just as much as he helps us versus the opponent, he helps us in our own locker room because of his competitiveness. I think some people mistake his kindness for weakness at times, but he is one of the most competitive people I know, and you can tell you know when he brings it, and tonight was one of those nights.”
Horford ranks in the top 72 for games played in NBA history and is on track to crack the top 70 by the end of this season. That doesn’t even account for his postseason experience, where he ranks 14th all-time. Yet, even after all these years, he continues to unlock another level of play—just as invaluable to the Celtics now as when they first brought him to Boston nearly nine years ago.
“That’s always been kind of what I do,” Horford said on his competitiveness. “I take pride in that and being there for my team. Being there to help us do whatever has to be done to win. I really just relish these moments and these types of games.”
With all the big-time scoring nights and stats some of the Celtics put up, Horford’s impact on a night-to-night basis often goes unnoticed. However, what he brings both on and off the court is irreplaceable.
“I think every game he brings it, but he just kind of had that edge today,” Derrick White said. “I feel like when he’s saving the ball or creating extra possessions for us, that’s kind of like when you notice it. But he definitely had that mindset, and we did a better job than we have in the past of finding him, and he made big plays for us on both sides of the ball.”
Horford is the emotional lead for the Celtics. When he speaks, they listen. When he brings the energy, they match it.
Games like Sunday are a reminder of just how crucial Horford is to this team—someone who shows up in any role, whether starting or coming off the bench. A player the team consistently responds to and is always grateful for.
“Al is the ultimate team guy,” said Brown. “He is a great connector for our unit. He does his job night in and night out.”
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