Celtics
Al Horford has been a part of four of those conference finalists — in 2018, when Tatum was a rookie, and the last three, after returning from a two-year hiatus.
Al Horford will be playing in his fourth Eastern Conference final with the Celtics (fifth overall), while Jayson Tatum is already in his fifth.
Their current situation demands, above all, a moment of appreciation, doesn’t it?
Oh, sure, there are nitpicks from the Celtics’ 113-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, nitpicks that are genuine rather than those generated in a laboratory of sports radio for maximum meowing by the among us habitual misery seekers.
We will have plenty of time over the next few days to address some of these flaws and the valid criticisms that may recur as the opposition hardens and the spotlight brightens, just as it is time to acknowledge THE a lot encouraging, even inspiring, developments for the Celtics in this game and this series.
But first, the deserved, so deserved appreciation. The Celtics reached the conference finals for the sixth time in eight years, including the last three. Jaylen Brown has been on all six of those teams, and when the Celtics play the Knicks or the Pacers (you know it, I know it, and the American people know it, it will very well be the Knicks) every time the Finals of conference begins, this will be Jayson Tatum’s fifth appearance.
The Celtics have had three coaches during this span. They did it with Isaiah Thomas reigning in the fourth quarter, they did it with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward injured, they did it in the bubble with Kemba Walker on wobbly knees desperately trying to be the third star, and they did it with Tatum and Brown getting better and better, maybe not in a linear fashion, but in a way that should lead to unwavering respect for their work ethic and dedication.
Six conference finals in eight years. It’s an achievement, a job well done, again and again.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who mentioned his gratitude several times during his postgame press conference, was right when he pointed out that it’s never easy to finish a streak. post-season, implying that such victories, even if not ones that result in a banner and parade should be valued.
“Closing matches are tough,” he said. “There is a certain level of stress, anxiety, despair. It takes what it takes.
“Everyone wants to win until it’s really time to win.” And then you have to (step up) and do a lot of (expletive) that you don’t want to do. Ultimately, if you want to win, you have to do the right thing.
No one did the right thing more on Wednesday night than Al Horford, and that was fitting in many ways. Horford has been a part of four of those conference finalists — in 2018, when Tatum was a rookie, and the last three, after returning from two-year hiatuses in Philadelphia and Oklahoma City. He turns 38 on June 3, is almost two years older than his coach and is still looking for a championship ring after winning two at the University of Florida.
He is motivated, and in Game 5, it was downright inspiring to see how that manifested into an all-time great playoff performance for a player of a certain age. Horford made six 3-pointers, including an exclamation point in the final minute, scored 22 points, collected 15 rebounds, added 5 assists and 3 blocks, shot the ball over a Cavalier to save a possession and clearly indicated that he had no intention. to return to Cleveland for Game 6.
With his performance — which followed two games in Cleveland in which he was 0 for 10 from 3, raising fears he might burn out — he surpassed LeBron James as the oldest player in franchise history. the league to record more than 20 points and 10 rebounds. , 5 3-pointers and 5 assists in a playoff game.
“Tonight you saw his gift,” Mazzulla said. “His gift is nothing but passion, inspiration, tenacity. . . The way he affected the game in different ways was awesome.
“(I’m) grateful to Al. . it’s an honor to coach him.
Horford admitted he felt he had to provide something more with a chance to close out the series.
“For me, the most important thing was to bring energy, to bring energy to our group. . . I knew it would take a lot more than playing a normal match.
While Horford was sensational, the victory offered an intriguing look at the Celtics at their best. Jayson Tatum finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists, and drilled a dagger 3-pointer to make the score 101-87. Brown played a balanced game, taking just nine shots but dishing out seven assists. Derrick White scored 18 points and sparked the offense early. Jrue Holiday closed it out, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Complaints ? We have a few. Marcus Morris Sr., one of the early statistical players on the underperforming 2019 Celtics, dropped 25 points on his former team, about 23 points more than he should score in a playoff game at this phase of his career.
And it’s worth noting that the Celtics led by just 6 at halftime and 7 after three against a depleted Cavaliers team without star Donovan Mitchell for the second straight game. It took them a while to take control, and there were times when we wondered if they would.
They got the job done and reached the NBA final four once again. Do not confuse this appreciation with premature coronation.
That, of course, comes with the 18th championship, which has been elusive, and the final and most relevant chapters of the 2024 Celtics story have yet to be written.
But so far it’s been a page-turner, with plenty of encouraging foreshadowing. Do not tell me You I saw this Horford plot twist coming.
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