Boston Celtics: 1 stud and 1 dud from C’s blowout Game 4 win over Heat

Boston Celtics stud: Al Horford

Just the other day we were discussing how a player doesn’t need to drop an obscene amount of points in a contest in order to make a major and, frankly, potentially lethal impact for their respective ball club, and that’s exactly what Al Horford proved right before our very eyes in Monday’s bout.

Throughout this year’s postseason, the veteran big has truly been the X-factor for this Boston Celtics team, as he’s served as a much-needed stabilizing force on both ends of the floor, and, in Game 4, he was absolutely that.

Logging 33 minutes on the night, Horford’s focus was more on the nitty-gritty aspect of the game rather than the scoring department (though he did convert on 50 percent of his attempts for five points) which, honestly, helped pave the way towards their route over Miami in a bigger way than many casuals may believe.

He went on to snatch 13 boards and swatted away an incredible four shots (both game-highs for both teams) while also dishing out three dimes, two of which came in drive, stop, and lob fashion to a cutting Robert Williams (finished with 12 points and nine rebounds himself).

Helping neutralize the likes of Bam Adebayo (registered just nine points after dropping a whopping 31 in the previous outing) on defense while also running the show when on offense during numerous sequences and fast-breaks, Al Horford simply showcased yet again why the offseason trade to reacquire him was such a genius move by Brad Stevens.

As much as this win was the result of an overall team effort, it was also a reflection of just how impactful the 35-year-old was in all facets of the game.