Boston Celtics: 2 unsung studs from C’s NBA Finals clinching win in Miami

Boston Celtics stud No. 1) Al Horford

When simply looking at Al Horford’s box score, one might not understand just how impactful he was towards Sunday night’s Finals-clinching win.

That said, those who actually watched know exactly why he belongs on this list of stud performers.

Was he a bit off from a shooting standpoint? Perhaps, but, as he’s proven throughout his career, Big Al doesn’t need to drop 20+ points in order to be a key factor in his team’s victories.

Once again, this proved to be the case once again.

In Game 7, his efforts virtually everywhere else outside of the scoring department were absolutely astonishing, as he was just as willing to battle down low for boards as he was taking charge of the offense and setting up his teammates, be it with screens or dimes, for their own buckets and putting all his efforts into honing in on defense (that first-quarter block on Max Strus was truly divine).

In a whopping 44 minutes played, the big man put up five points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal whilst finishing with the team’s highest plus-minus rating of +10.

It took Al Horford 141 playoffs games to make it to this point (the most all-time in league history), but he’s finally managed to punch his ticket to the NBA Finals.

We couldn’t be happier for the O.G.!