Boston Celtics: 2 unsung studs from C’s dominant win over Chicago

Boston Celtics stud No. 2) Al Horford

With Robert Williams being out for at least four to six weeks as he recovers from his recent knee surgery to repair his torn meniscus, many are skeptical about how Boston’s frontcourt will fair come the first round of the postseason.

Now, while not having their budding star center down low may not be the most ideal scenario for this championship-aspiring team, at least early on, his absence may not be as catastrophic as some may believe, and a big reason for why we feel this way is because of just how stellar Al Horford has been all year long.

The veteran’s play against Chicago was a prime example of just how tremendous he can be when manning the five for this Celtics team.

Seeing just shy of 30 minutes on the night, Horford showcased the high-end versatility that C’s fans absolutely adore, serving as a scorer, a rim protector, a ball handler out on the break–whatever Ime Udoka needed, he did.

By the time the final buzzer sounded, the big man was sporting a double-double of 17 points (the second-highest mark from the game) and 10 boards (four of which were offensive) whilst going a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor and 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Along with this, the 15-year pro also managed to add on two assists, two steals, and a block while also playing stout coverage, as he played a major role in All-Star center, Nikola Vucevic’s, putrid shooting night (converted on just 38.5 percent of his attempts from the field).

With a +23 plus-minus rating, Al Horford ended up with the highest mark of anyone who stepped foot on the floor and, if he can continue to play like this on a consistent basis, the 35-year-old should almost certainly be able to hold down the fort until Time Lord makes his way back to the lineup.