Al Horford has climbed to fifty fifth in all-time playoff scoring. The veteran massive man has leapfrogged Allen Iverson within the course of. Horford has scored a complete of two,116 factors in 170 playoff video games all through his profession. He’s additionally pulled down 1,383 rebounds, dished out 568 assists and blocked 214 pictures.
That is Horford’s fifteenth playoff run. The closest he has come to profitable a championship was the 2022 NBA Finals run with the Boston Celtics, in what was Ime Udoka’s maiden season with the franchise.
As such, Horford is probably going specializing in serving to the Celtics get again to the Finals and doubtlessly recover from the hump. Horford has been animated through the Celtics’ opening three video games as he seems to be to provoke and assist lead the roster. Along with his profession on the again 9, he doubtless needs to assist the workforce win a championship, each for town and for his personal profession resume.
You are not going to consider this…
Al Horford handed none apart from ALLEN IVERSON in playoff scoring yesterday.
He is No. 55 all-time now.
Horford can be No. 22 in blocks, No. 26 in rebounds, No. 50 in assists and No. 65 in steals.
Underrated profession. pic.twitter.com/hzguym4MMY
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) April 28, 2024
This season has been the primary yr the place Horford has come off the bench. He has embraced his new position beneath Joe Mazzulla and emerged as a real difference-maker with the Celtics’ second unit. After all, he’s additionally been impactful when moving into the beginning lineup, both as a substitute for Kristaps Porzingis or as a part of a double-big lineup.
Horford has one other yr left on his two-year $19.5 million contract with the Celtics. As such, he’ll proceed to extend his postseason scoring numbers and doubtlessly proceed to climb up the all-time main scorers charts. Nonetheless, for anybody who has watched Horford play, it will likely be abundantly clear that particular person accolades and success aren’t what drives him.
As a substitute, the veteran massive man has all the time been centered on workforce success and the expansion of the roster as an entire. It’s what’s made him such an ideal match because the Celtics’ main veteran voice. And it’s why he’ll doubtless proceed to have a significant influence on the roster through the latter interval of his profession and his tenure with the workforce.
Horford could have leapfrogged Iverson in playoff scoring, however with out a championship ring, it doubtless gained’t make a lot of a distinction to him.
