‘Nobody deserves to be here more than him’: Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown talk about Al Horford’s elite NBA Finals play

The 15-season vet was the best player on the floor for much of the game, and his teammates took note.

The Boston Celtics took a haymaker from the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter of Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals and another big run in the game’s penultimate frame, only to see first-time finals participant and 15-season veteran Al Horford light the Dubs up in the fourth to steal the win and home-court advantage with a 26-point, 6-of-8 performance.

The University of Florida product has been a key part of what got the Celtics to the finals in the first place, providing critical play for Boston time and time again this postseason, surprising many save his teammates. After the win, Celtics point guard Marcus Smart was asked his thoughts on how it felt to watch Horford play at such a high level in his first-ever game this deep in the postseason.

“We were ecstatic for him,” suggested the Flower Mound native.