Seriously. Al Horford has been on a mission in the second round. The Celtics are not where they are in this series without him, and that's not a comment solely focused on Monday's win.
After logging 36 minutes in Game 1, the soon-to-be 36-year-old has logged more and more minutes each night, topping out at 42 on Monday. Game 4 was the first game he didn't log a double-double, but he still grabbed eight boards throughout his crucial 30-point performance, during which he shot 11-for-14 from the floor (5-for-7 from deep).
"It never changes with him," Smart said of Horford. "Things are going bad or good, he's going to be him. Nine times out of 10, that's going to work out in our favor. We very much needed him, and he came through for us and helped us secure this win."
Also, Horford's work on the offensive end didn't solely play into the Celtics' score. As they defend Giannis Antetokounmpo hard, the Celtics are also trying to wear him down with their offensive attack. With the way he shot on Monday, Horford was pulling double duty against Milwaukee's star.
"We obviously did it in the first series against Brooklyn. We wanted to put (Kevin) Durant and (Kyrie) Irving in actions," Ime Udoka said. "(The Bucks) have done that somewhat to us, as well — put JT (Jayson Tatum) into certain actions, JB (Jaylen Brown). But we like to do the same thing and not just let Giannis and those guys roam the weak side. We want to put them in action, make them guard. Cumulative effect for sure.
"They're doing a lot. Getting 32 shots up and playing 41 minutes takes a toll on you alone. But we want to make him work and not let him rest on the defensive end."
Of course, Antetokounmpo tried to assert his dominance with his big dunk in the third quarter. Didn't work in the moment when he got a tech, and it fueled Horford's monstrous finish in the fourth.
Al Horford SLAM to tie it up 💥 pic.twitter.com/bxGXaGK2Yd
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 10, 2022
"I don't really know what he said to me, but the way he was looking at me and the way he was going about it really didn't sit well with me," Horford said. "At that point, something switched with me in the game."
— Only In Boston (@OnlyInBOS) May 10, 2022
On top of leading the Celtics to the win, Horford's strong showing indirectly helped Tatum work through his mini funk. He was pressing a bit early after his rough Game 3, but Tatum played a big part in Boston closing out the Bucks in the fourth.
JAYSON TATUM OH MY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/qxkHJY46jz
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 10, 2022
As a result of it all, the Celtics have momentum and regained home court advantage. For the first time since the series began, the Celtics are finally in the driver's seat — and they have Horford to thank for that.
This and-1 by Horford 😳 pic.twitter.com/Exbvn4uYwp
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 10, 2022
"It's tied up now — best of three," Tatum said. "We knew that coming in, as you progress through the playoffs, it just gets tougher. Obviously, with them being the defending champs — regardless of who's in or who's out — we know that they know what it takes. They're not going to lay down or anything like that.
"I'm excited to get back home. Excited to play in front of our fans on Wednesday. Get some rest and get back to it."
