Hardwood Houdini
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Al Horford steps up with Kyrie Irving sidelined, plays point guard in win over Knicks

By Nicholas Frazier

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 21: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics boxes out Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks on December 21, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 21: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics boxes out Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks on December 21, 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Al Horford took over point guard duties with Kyrie Irving out with an injury

Boston Celtics fan let out a collective gasp when it was announced that Kyrie Irving would not play Wednesday night against the Knicks because of a right quad contusion. Irving took a hard hit Monday in a win over the Nuggets and was forced to sit out.

While missing Irving for a game (possibly more) is always significant, it was made worse by Marcus Smart’s inability to play due to a lacerated hand. Add in Shane Larkin’s right knee injury, and the Celtics were down three ball-handling guards for Wednesday’s tilt with their divisional rival.

Brad Stevens responded by giving Terry Rozier his first professional start, and Rozier flourished, recording a triple-double. But it wasn’t just Rozier who led ball-handling duties.

Al Horford stepped up to be the de facto backup point guard in the Celtics’ 103-73 win over the Knicks at TD Garden. He did it all for a team that seems to finally be breaking out of a bad slump.

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The big man recorded 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. He did all of this only 23 minutes, as he sat out the entire fourth quarter when the game became a blowout.

Stevens showed his confidence in Horford’s ability to run the offense about halfway into the second quarter. Stevens subbed in wings Semi Ojeleye, Marcus Morris, and Abdel Nader, leaving Horford in the game with Jayson Tatum.

It was the first time Stevens deployed a non-guard lineup all season. That lineup, with Horford bringing up the ball, was out there for over three minutes, and thanks to Horford’s capability to run the offense, the Celtics were able to stay in front of the Knicks.

A similar lineup came late in the second half, with Horford, Tatum, and Nader out there with Aron Baynes and Jaylen Brown. Again, it was for just a few minutes, but it became clear that the All-Star forward was trustworthy as a ball handler.

Stevens wasn’t able to run that kind of lineup again, as Horford picked up his fifth foul in the middle of the third quarter and never returned. But the damage was already done, as the Celtics built a 17-point lead in the third quarter and never looked back.

Few true big men in the league can run an offense like Horford, who leads the Celtics in assists per game with 5.3. The Celtics will often run things through Horford anyway, but they have rarely had him play the point like they did Wednesday night.

Besides his point guard skills, Horford again helped limit Knicks superstar Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian power forward has struggled to score against the Celtics this season, and this game was no different. Porzingis was held to 16 points on 7-for-18 shooting, going 1-for-5 from deep. Horford lined up opposite Porzingis for most of the game, and the result was exemplary.

Next: Career night from Rozier in win over Knicks

True Celtics fans know that Horford will never drop 30 in a game, even with a dominant scorer like Irving sidelined. Rather, Horford contributes by facilitating the offense and playing hard on both sides of the floor. There’s no reason to expect anything less from the five-time All-Star, and against the Knicks, he did what the Celtics desperately needed him to do; play his game.

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