“Al Horford just played the best 5-point game since Dennis Rodman”: Celtics big man again shows up in a crucial Game 4 victory to level the Eastern Conference Finals against Heat

Akash Murty | 24/05/2022
“Al Horford just played the best 5-point game since Dennis Rodman”: Celtics big man again shows up in a crucial Game 4 victory to level the ECF Finals against Heat

Al Horford has proven to be one of the most impactful players for the Celtics in the 2022 Playoffs, his consistency has proven to be the X factor.

On Monday evening Boston Celtics bounced back from their Game 3 loss against the Miami Heat like they have done every other time in this year’s Playoffs.

It looked like it was the Miami Heat that had suffered a horrific loss last game because the Celtics were so great and frictionless from the starting whistle of Game 4.

Also read: “Jayson Tatum needs to stop b*tching to the refs!”: Jalen Rose calls out Jaylen Brown and Tatum following their antics in Game 3 as Heat go up 2-1 vs the Celtics

Heat’s starting five couldn’t score a cumulative of 20 points, with Bam Adebayo (9), Jimmy Butler (6), Kyle Lowry (3), PJ Tucker (0), and Max Strus (0) making the scoresheet look like a phone number.

On the other hand, four of the C’s starting five scored 12 or more points with Jayson Tatum leading the bunch with his 31 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks in the 102-82 thrashing.

And the one Boston player who couldn’t score in double digits had the second biggest impact on the game, giving reminisce of a certain great player from the Chicago Bulls team of the late 90s.

Al Horford took out his inner Dennis Rodman in Game 4 win

Although the ever-so-quiet and easy-going Al Horford is nothing like Dennis the Menace personality-wise, his impact on the game of basketball, especially this season, has been nothing short of the Bulls legend.

While he had a quiet night, scoring-wise getting just 5-points converting one out of the two shots he attempted in the game, his 13 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 assists proved very crucial and impactful for Boston in imposing their early dominance in the game.

In the Game 3 loss, He shot 7-of-14 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep when Jayson Tatum struggled to get buckets. The 35-year-old dropped the team’s 2nd highest score of 20 points to go along with 14 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks, which brought Celtics right back in the game.

But their turnovers cost them the game and he a contribution in that department as well. But after the game, he came out showing confidence in his teammates assuring that it wouldn’t happen again.

And in Game 4, Al, Tatum, and Brown had a total of 4 turnovers as compared to the last game’s 16. Horford had 0 against 3 in Game 3.

Also read: “I did a s**t job taking care of the basketball tonight, I gotta do better”: Jaylen Brown doesn’t have excuses for his 7 and Celtics’ 24 turnovers in the loss against Heat

That’s what a Championship team needs from one of its most impactful players – maximum impact with minimal errors.

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
Al Horford boston celtics Dennis Rodman Miami Heat

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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