The Boston Celtics are taking on the Charlotte Hornets twice in a row to end the regular season. On Friday night, the two teams are facing off in the first contest of a two-game series. Early in the game, veteran center Al Horford accomplished a feat that put him in an exclusive club in the NBA.
In the opening seconds of the Hornets-Celtics game, Horford recorded a block after knocking Josh Okogie's three-point attempt out of bounds. The block was the 1,300th recorded block in Horford's career. He is now just the fourth player in league history to have 1,300 blocks and 900+ three-pointers made in a career. The 38-year-old center had a smooth reaction after the play.
The other three players on that list are Clifford Robinson, Rasheed Wallace, and Brook Lopez. Of the three, Lopez is the only player who is still in the league, as he's playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. It's a solid list for Al Horford to join, as all three individuals utilized a similar play style in the league.
Boston is in line for another deep playoff run and Horford plays a big part of that. The five-time All-Star has been incredibly consistent for the Celtics since joining the organization before the 2021 season. He's filled in nicely whenever Kristaps Porzingis has missed time and serves as a solid depth piece for the team when Porzingis is healthy.
With all of the attention on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Al Horford has the pleasure of going unnoticed at times. He helps tremendously as a three-point shooter in catch and shoot situations. Additionally, his defensive presence hasn't faultered despite playing the league for 18 seasons.
The consistency has been there throughout the 2024-25 season. With the regular season coming to an end soon, Horford entered Friday's contest against the Hornets averaging 8.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 42.1% from the field and 6.0% from the three-point line.
