Despite only scoring a total of 22 points through four games, Al Horford has had a massive impact on this series for the Celtics. Points and numbers don't always tell the story, especially for a guy like Horford, whose role on the team isn't to be some elite scorer.
It's the little things that may go unnoticed by some, such as spacing the floor and providing a defensive presence, that Horford does so well.
One of the best stats in basketball is a player's plus-minus, because it can show a player's impact that may not be stuffing the stat sheet. So far this postseason,Horford has a plus-minus of +50, which is good for second-best in the NBA, behind just Caleb Martin of the Miami Heat, who sits at +75. The next closest Celtic is Jayson Tatum, who sits at +36.
Looking at Game 4, Horford had a game-high plus-minus of +17, despite not recording a single point. It marked just the fourth time in his career that he failed to record a point.
"My mindset is always winning," Horford said at shootaround Tuesday morning. "If I get numbers, I get numbers."
Aside from his on-court contributions, Horford also provides a valuable voice in the locker room.
In Game 1, the Celtics built a 32-point lead, but saw it dwindle down to just 12 after the Hawks came out with a strong second-half push. With the lead starting to slip, it was Horford that refocused the group. Following the game, Joe Mazzulla said, "He's a lot of things for us… One of them is our emotional leader."
The 15-year NBA vet noted the importance of having the right mindset heading into Game 5 on Tuesday morning.
"We learned last year being in these positions, and this year we believe it's important that we come out with the right mindset," Horford said. "That's the biggest thing."
Horford mentioned the team was excited about the opportunity ahead of them Tuesday night, and noted the team had a "focused shootaround" ahead of the game.
Boston takes on Atlanta with a chance to close out the series Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Boston and TNT.
