BOSTON — During a 16-second sequence inside the final minute of Thursday’s third quarter, Al Horford gave all he had left.
As the Celtics faced a double-digit deficit — one that was ultimately too much to overcome — Horford didn’t give up, and did all he could to drag the C’s off the mat.
He converted a three-point play, capping a 15-2 run and suddenly cutting the deficit to nine, and flexed his muscles, which has become a signature move in these playoffs. Moments later, he swatted a Jordan Poole layup attempt into the basket stanchion. He let out a big scream to a suddenly rejuvenated and deafening crowd, which sensed a potentially epic Game 6 comeback.
The moments were ultimately fleeting — as the Warriors went on to capture another NBA championship on Thursday night at TD Garden — but they encapsulated all what Horford has meant to the Celtics on this magical ride that came up two wins short of a title. The C’s probably wouldn’t have got this far without the steady influence of their 36-year-old veteran.
A raw Horford emptied the tank for the Celtics this spring. But it didn’t result in the ultimate goal.
“It’s difficult,” Horford said. “Obviously for me, looking at this great opportunity in front of us, it just wasn’t meant for us this year. We fought really hard.”
Perhaps no one fought harder than Horford.
The 15-year power forward spoke often about his second chance with the C’s, the team he always wanted to be with even after he left Boston in 2019 to join the 76ers before being traded to the Thunder. Brad Stevens, his former coach turned Celtics president of basketball operations, brought him back last summer in a trade that was made a year ago this Saturday. And Horford took full advantage.
Not much may have been expected of Horford, who’s logged a lot of miles in the NBA. But in these playoffs, he proved he had a lot of gas left. He became the irreplaceable cog in the middle of Boston’s lineup, whose veteran leadership was instrumental for a young group. And his play on both ends helped spur the C’s to the NBA Finals, his first appearance in the championship round.
“Nobody deserves it more than this guy on my right right here,” Jaylen Brown said of Horford after the C’s clinched the Eastern Conference championship.
Something can be said about how the last 12 months have transformed Horford. Though Thursday ended in bitter disappointment, this season — and especially these last two months — can and will be looked at as Horford rediscovering himself in something of a late-career renaissance.
Horford had some incredible moments, and none more legendary than his Game 4 performance against the Bucks in the semifinals. As the C’s faced a 2-1 series deficit in Milwaukee, Horford saved the C’s. A staredown from Giannis Antetokounmpo lit a fire under Horford, who later posterized the Bucks star with a dunk and proceeded to score 30 points to will the victory.
Usually pretty reserved for the majority of his career, Horford let himself go a little bit. He was more emotional on the court than he’s ever been en route to his first Finals experience. He scored 26 points with six 3-pointers in the Game 1 victory. He eventually ran out of gas, but not for a lack of effort, and he learned a lot from his experience on basketball’s biggest stage.
“It’s a huge learning experience just from the amount of attention, the stage itself, everything that entails this,” Horford said. “Also on the court for me individually, just seeing how I can just continue to be of impact, be better for our group moving forward.
“So definitely a lot of growth. And with that, just really appreciative of our fans here, our Celtics fans here. All year they’ve been with us. These playoffs, it was very special.”
Though he just turned 36, this doesn’t seem like it’s some final hurrah for Horford. He’s under contract with the Celtics next season before becoming an unrestricted free agent, and he’s hopeful for another run.
If this season taught us anything, it’s not to count Horford out just yet.
“I feel like we can hold our heads high,” Horford said. “We gave everything that we could. For me, I’m looking forward to next year. It’s a big summer for us as a team, individually, to get better, to improve on this and for us to take it to another level.”
