<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celtics-news-al-horford-secret-extending-nba-career');   ga('set', 'title', 'Al Horford reveals secret to extending NBA career with Celtics');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Al-Horford-reveals-secret-to-extending-NBA-career.jpg"></figure><h1>Al Horford reveals secret to extending NBA career with Celtics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-18T11:51:05-08:00">December 18th, 11:51am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-18T11:51:05-08:00">December 18th, 11:51am</time><address><a>Daniel Donabedian</a>Daniel Donabedian is a beat reporter for ClutchPoints covering the Boston Celtics. He's also covered Villanova men's basketball and Big East basketball, building a strong reputation in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>BOSTON — Boston Celtics center Al Horford is the perfect example of basketball adaptation. In the modern NBA, where most players won’t last long if they can’t shoot the ball, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-al-horford-gets-painfully-honest-on-nba-future-beyond-2024-25">Horford has survived and thrived</a> despite coming up in an era when three-pointers were much less common.</p><p>Two decades ago, Horford was a freshman with the Florida Gators, a team who only operated inside the arc, which led to him attempting zero triples in his inaugural season. During his next two successful years, which saw Horford win back-to-back national championships, he never made a three-pointer. That trend carried into the NBA, as Horford didn’t hit any threes as a rookie with the Atlanta Hawks.</p><p>Since Horford stands at 6-foot-9, this isn’t surprising. Big men weren’t expected to be perimeter threats at the time. However, basketball has evolved, and so has the reigning NBA champion.</p><p>Through 26 games, Horford has attempted 101 triples—a large share of his 137 field goal attempts. The 38-year-old has converted on 46.7% of his 3-pointers as well, which is the 47th-best rate in the NBA for players with over 60 attempts from outside the arc.</p><p>Horford knows his much-improved three-point shot has allowed him to stay in the Association for a whopping 18 seasons.</p><p>“I believe that it, for me, physically added years to my career,” Horford said of his growth as a shooter during a Wednesday practice. “It’s been a great benefit.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Al Horford discussed the 3-point shot and how it’s taken over the NBA. Went on to say that his 3-pointer has “absolutely” extended his career <a href="https://t.co/K5tBHVqIyT">pic.twitter.com/K5tBHVqIyT</a></p><p>— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) <a href="https://twitter.com/danield1214/status/1869431576398049531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Why Al Horford and the Celtics embody the NBA’s three-point trend</b></h2><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-jaylen-brown-gets-real-on-bostons-historic-3-point-shooting">three-pointer is especially vital to the Celtics</a>. Last season, the C’s led the league in three-point attempts en route to a title. This season, they’re putting up a high volume again with a league-leading 51.1 shots per game from behind the arc. The Chicago Bulls, who are second in three-point frequency, aren’t even averaging over 44 attempts. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-vs-celtics-prediction-odds-pick-12-19-2024">The Celtics coincidentally host the Bulls</a> at TD Garden on Thursday night.</p><p>“It’s the progression of the game. The evolution of the game,” Horford described. “My rookie year I would have never imagined—I would have never imagined 10 years ago—seeing that many 3-point shots being shot. It’s just the way the game is going.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Al Horford's 5th three pointer… </p><p>The <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@celtics</a> 15th three pointer…</p><p>There's still 6 minutes left in the 2nd quarter 🤯 <a href="https://t.co/SbmC6BlcaM">pic.twitter.com/SbmC6BlcaM</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1850325105286496589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Celtics have used their three-point dominance to their advantage, boasting a 21-5 overall record which is good for the second seed in the Eastern Conference. In fact, the Green Team is on pace to shoot the most three-pointers in a single season in NBA history. This <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-kirk-goldsberry-game-changing-idea-limit-teams-3-point-dependency">significant rise in threes</a> from the Celtics (and most of the NBA) has prompted league commissioner Adam Silver to examine the trend and discuss <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43032741/adam-silver-looking-critiques-increased-3-point-volume" rel="noopener">its impact on the game</a> and viewers, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.</p><p>“I think the game is in a great place,” Silver stated on Tuesday. “Having said that, we’re constantly having discussions about whether there are ways to improve stylistically the game on the floor.”</p><p>For now, three-pointers aren’t going anywhere, especially when it’s increasingly common to see seven-footers launch triples from 30 feet away.</p><p>“At every position, as soon as you come into the league, guys are shooting them. They’re comfortable with them,” Horford commented. “Whereas before, guys had to develop it here, had to figure it out, or they didn’t shoot them as much or they weren’t as comfortable. But there was a lot of value in teams’ eyes with 3-point shooting. That’s just the evolution of the game.”</p><p>With the help of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavaliers-news-kenny-atkinson-identifies-factor-al-horford-longevity">former Hawks coaches Mike Budenholzer and Kenny Atkinson</a>, Horford developed into a legitimate three-point threat. The seventh-year Celtic never imagined that for his game, but he understands how the three-pointer has let him and other older centers delay retirement.</p><p>“You either stick to what you were doing before, and if we did, we probably weren’t going to be here much longer,” Horford admitted.</p><p>It’s adapt or die in the NBA, and Horford proves that. His resiliency, flexibility, and willingness to change alongside the game makes him an excellent example for up-and-coming players and must be mentioned when he inevitably becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Al Horford reveals secret to extending NBA career with Celtics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celtics-news-al-horford-quietly-joins-lebron-james-dirk-nowitzki-amazing-milestone');   ga('set', 'title', 'Al Horford quietly joins LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki with milestone vs. Pistons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Celtics-news-Al-Horford-quietly-joins-LeBron-James-Dirk-Nowitzki-with-milestone-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Al Horford quietly joins LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki with milestone vs. Pistons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-05T01:02:32-08:00">December 5th, 1:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-05T01:02:59-08:00">December 5th, 1:02am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When it comes to be holding off Father Time, LeBron James is the unparalleled master in all of sports, never mind the NBA. Because of that fact, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavaliers-news-kenny-atkinson-identifies-factor-al-horford-longevity">the enduring Al Horford</a> does not always receive as much praise as he deserves. Though, the 38-year-old Boston Celtics big man is drawing plenty of attention following Wednesday’s 130-120 victory versus the Detroit Pistons.</p><p>Horford is breathing rarefied air, shared only by a Hall of Famer and one of the best to ever step on a basketball court. He scored 14 points while going 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Those four 3-pointers earned him <a href="https://x.com/taylorcsnow/status/1864537808578154646" rel="noopener">a remarkable milestone</a>.</p><p>The five-time All-Star joins James and Dirk Nowitzki as the only NBA players in history to accumulate at least 8,000 rebounds, 1,000 blocks and 900 threes, according to Celtics reporter Taylor Snow. The Book of Horford is not just impressive; it remains compelling in chapter 18.</p><h2><b>Al Horford is an important part of the Celtics’ greatness</b></h2><p>Boston is trusting the savvy veteran to log almost 28 minutes per contest this season, which perfectly illustrates the valuable impact he is still adding in the twilight of his career. Horford is averaging 9.4 points on 40.7 percent 3-point shooting and 5.1 rebounds thus far. He sunk his 900th career long ball early in the third quarter, accomplishing the eye-catching feat in front of the home fans at TD Garden.</p><p>Al Horford still prides himself on his defense, but his shooting prowess best describes how he has been able to remain a fixture in the NBA during four different presidencies, and soon to be five. He adapted to the times and evolved his game, reinventing himself after his 29th birthday. The two-time national champion attempted only four 3-pointers in 109 games for the Florida Gators but is now attempting 5.4 per night.</p><p>With such determination, it is no wonder why he is one of the most respected men in the league today. Horford should have more opportunities to make history, but his main focus is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-3-reasons-still-team-beat-after-humbling-cavs">winning a second straight title</a> with Boston. The Celtics (18-4) next battle the Milwaukee Bucks (11-10) in an exciting Friday night matchup.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Al Horford quietly joins LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki with milestone vs. Pistons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavaliers-news-kenny-atkinson-identifies-factor-al-horford-longevity');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson identifies key factor behind Al Horford’s longevity');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Cavaliers-news-Kenny-Atkinson-identifies-key-factor-behind-Al-Horfords-longevity.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson identifies key factor behind Al Horford’s longevity</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-19T20:53:56-08:00">November 19th, 8:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-19T20:53:56-08:00">November 19th, 8:53pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As usual, Boston Celtics big man Al Horford was a crucial supporting piece in his team’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-joe-mazzulla-wish-boston-rivals-cavaliers-takedown">120-117 over the Cleveland Cavaliers</a> on Tuesday night. The 18th-year veteran scored 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting with seven rebounds, three blocks, and one assist across 32 minutes, and Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson couldn’t help but admire his performance from the opposing bench.</p><p>Atkinson was asked if Horford’s <a href="https://x.com/JustinmTurpin/status/1859066579670950366" rel="noopener">longevity surprises him</a> after the game, via WEEI 93.7 FM’s Justin Turpin.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kenny Atkinson coached Al Horford in Atlanta 10+ years ago. I asked him postgame about Al’s longevity:</p><p>“The shooting piece is incredible. Before he needed time to get it off, now, he needs no time… It’s an incredible story. I love the guy. He’s the epitome of a professional.” <a href="https://t.co/oSwK4HMLBl">pic.twitter.com/oSwK4HMLBl</a></p><p>— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinmTurpin/status/1859066579670950366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“No, it doesn’t surprise me because of his elite approach to every day. I was around it, I saw it every day,” the 57-year-old said. “Probably the top of what I’ve seen in terms of taking care of his body, everything off the court, work ethic, hunger to improve. All the stuff that goes into longevity.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-name-hawks-assistant-kenny-atkinson-as-new-head-coach">Atkinson was an assistant coach</a> for the Atlanta Hawks when Horford played there from 2012-16, back when the Florida alum had an elongated jump shot. His form is smoother now, though, which is a big reason why he shot 4-of-5 from deep against Cleveland.</p><p>“The shooting piece is incredible. Before, he needed time to get it off, now he needs no time,” Atkinson continued. “He gets that thing off so quick. He’s improved that. It’s an incredible story, I love the guy, he’s the epitome of a great professional. Really happy for his success.”</p><p>Atkinson didn’t know at the time that he’d help develop a player that would eventually end his team’s undefeated run a decade later, but such is life in the NBA.</p><h2><b>Kenny Atkinson took accountability for Cavaliers’ first loss</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Darius-Garland-dribbles-Cavs-Celtics1.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Cleveland still tops the league at 15-1, but it could have used a win against the defending champions to put the league on notice. The team did well to cut a 21-point deficit to two in the third quarter, but it shouldn’t have allowed Boston to dominate like that in the first place.</p><p>Atkinson <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/cavaliers/news/cleveland-cavaliers-head-coach-reacts-to-game-plan-in-boston-celtics-loss" rel="noopener">took accountability, though,</a> via Sports Illustrated’s Tommy Wild.</p><p>“It’s not on the players. It’s a game plan, too,” he said in the postgame presser. “I feel that’s a little bit on me, maybe not prepared enough for what they were throwing at us. We adjusted in the second half. Especially that big second quarter [from Boston] was too much to overcome.”</p><p>An age-old sports saying is that a team’s true character reveals itself in the face of adversity, and that applies to the head coach. Atkinson’s willingness to accept blame for the loss shows that he’s a true leader, which bodes well for the Cavaliers’ future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson identifies key factor behind Al Horford’s longevity

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celtics-news-al-horford-miss-first-game-season-but-theres-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'Celtics’ Al Horford to miss first game of season, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Celtics-news-Al-Horford-to-miss-first-game-of-season-but-theres-a-catch.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics’ Al Horford to miss first game of season, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-01T10:25:42-07:00">November 1st, 10:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-01T10:25:42-07:00">November 1st, 10:25am</time><address><a>Daniel Donabedian</a>Daniel Donabedian is a beat reporter for ClutchPoints covering the Boston Celtics. He's also covered Villanova men's basketball and Big East basketball, building a strong reputation in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Celtics are already <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-kristaps-porzingis-injury-timetable-joe-mazzulla-update-24-25">playing without big man</a> Kristaps Porzingis. Now, they have another big man on the injury report: Al Horford. The veteran won’t play on Friday night as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-vs-hornets-prediction-odds-pick-11-1-2024">Celtics face the Charlotte Hornets.</a> However, there’s no reason for Celtics fans to worry. According to Celtics PR, the veteran center is out due to “<a href="https://x.com/celtics/status/1852357808047476950" rel="noopener">load management</a>.” Whenever Boston has back-to-back games, Horford typically rests for at least one of the contests. This keeps the 38-year-old fresh and may explain why he’s participated in at least 63 games in each of his past three seasons.</p><p>Horford will sit Friday and likely play on Saturday night when the C’s face the Hornets again. He’ll join Porzingis on the injury report, who’s missed the entire season so far because of a rare injury he suffered during the 2024 NBA Finals. The Latvian big man could return <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-kristaps-porzingis-return-date-leg-injury">as soon as December</a>, bolstering Boston’s star-studded roster.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">NBA insider Shams Charania said the Celtics are targeting a December return for center Kristaps Porzingis, via the <a href="https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatMcAfeeShow</a>.</p><p>Could be a nice Christmas present for Boston.<br> <a href="https://t.co/RYFlDTBNHh">pic.twitter.com/RYFlDTBNHh</a></p><p>— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) <a href="https://twitter.com/danield1214/status/1851318263780626833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How has Al Horford played this season?</b></h2><p>In Porzingis’ absence, the rest of the Celtics have had to step up. That’s not a new challenge for Horford, who’s certainly been up to the task of being Boston’s primary backup.</p><p>The reigning NBA champion only played in one preseason game, yet has shown no signs of rust. He’s averaged 9.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 25 minutes per outing to start the 2024-25 campaign. Most notably, Horford is shooting 56.7% from the floor and an incredible 60% from deep—connecting on 12 of his 20 attempts from 3-point range.</p><p>On the defensive side of the ball, he’s notched five steals and three blocks through five games.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Al Horford with the swat ✋</p><p>Derrick White with the bucket 🪣<a href="https://t.co/EX1dXK8De3">pic.twitter.com/EX1dXK8De3</a></p><p>— Celtics Nation (@CelticsNationCP) <a href="https://twitter.com/CelticsNationCP/status/1851049654659735939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Who backs up Al Horford on the Celtics?</b></h2><p>Boston loves a good volume of 3-pointers, and Horford follows that plan of attack well. His reserves, including centers Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Neemias Queta, aren’t as apt to shoot beyond the perimeter.</p><p>But, that doesn’t mean they can’t fill in when called upon. In fact, during the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-joe-mazzullas-blunt-admission-boston-form-loss-pacers">Celtics’ Wednesday night loss</a> to the Indiana Pacers, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla played Queta down the stretch. The 7-footer recorded a team-high nine rebounds in only 14 minutes and boasted the highest plus-minus rating of any player on either squad. Despite being in the league for three seasons already, he’s never averaged over 11.9 minutes per game.</p><p>When the C’s needed to erase a 24-point deficit, Queta brought the necessary energy, crashing the offensive glass and extending possessions to help his team find life again. Although Boston lost in overtime, falling to 4-1 on the season, it came back and was boosted by Queta’s minutes.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Celtics couldn't get it done in OT, but shout-out to Neemias Queta 😤</p><p>He was crucial for Boston's comeback. Finished with two points, nine rebounds (four offensive boards) and team-high +18 in 14 minutes: <a href="https://t.co/P8crpJFDCv">pic.twitter.com/P8crpJFDCv</a></p><p>— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) <a href="https://twitter.com/Timi_093/status/1851973280447750507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Mazzulla has no problem riding the hot hand, so Queta may see the court earlier than usual against the Hornets. Or, Kornet, who was featured in Boston’s starting lineup whenever Horford didn’t play this preseason, could make his first start of the new season.</p><p>Either way, the Celtics will be heavy favorites on Friday. They were last November for their first meeting of the 2023-24 season, but the Hornets stole a win in Charlotte, upsetting the C’s 121-118 in overtime. The Celtics will look to avoid déjà vu and give the 2-2 Hornets a losing record.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics’ Al Horford to miss first game of season, but there’s a catch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/celtics-news-al-horford-tells-teammates-nba-championship-ring-blunder');   ga('set', 'title', 'Celtics’ Al Horford tells teammates of NBA championship ring blunder');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Celtics-news-Al-Horford-tells-teammates-of-NBA-championship-ring-blunder.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics’ Al Horford tells teammates of NBA championship ring blunder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-22T19:50:55-07:00">October 22nd, 7:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-22T19:50:55-07:00">October 22nd, 7:50pm</time><address><a>Dylan Fine</a>Dylan Fine focuses on the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints, in addition to working on the meme team. Dylan is a graduate of Georgetown University and has covered various topics ranging from local politics in the DMV region with DC Voter For Animals to live sporting events in the Long Island and Rochester areas with The Southampton Press and Pickin’Splinters. When he isn't working, he's usually running in preparation for the next annual Turkey Trot.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Boston Celtics big man Al Horford gave an <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1848875632362721399" rel="noopener">eye-opening, instant reaction</a> to receiving his first NBA ring.</p><p>“I got the measurements all wrong, it’s like way too big,” The Celtics’ center immediately told teammates Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis while mic’d up and wearing the championship hardware during TNT’s coverage of the ring ceremony.</p><p>Horford’s hilarious comments came during a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-tie-nba-3-point-record-opening-night-vs-knicks">historic night for the Celtics</a> franchise as they celebrated their 18th championship in franchise history, inching one title ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for the record. The veteran star also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-al-horford-overwhelmed-highest-dominican-honor">made some history of his own in his native country of the Dominican Republic</a> the same week that Boston hung up their banner before the game against the New York Knicks.</p><p>During the ring ceremony, Horford was seen interacting with teammates and Celtics’ staff as well as former NBA legend Kevin Garnett. Garnett is no stranger to hanging up a banner in TD Garden, having helped the Celtics to their 17th championship with a 4-2 series win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Other Celtics’ legends in attendance included Garnett’s legendary teammates Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, and six-time champion Bob Cousy.</p><p>This was Boston’s first championship since 2008, despite making it to at least the Eastern Conference Finals six times between those two titles. Horford had to wait even longer than 16 years to finally reach the pinnacle of the sport, even though he is no stranger to competing in the playoffs.</p><h2><b>Al Horford won his first NBA title after 186 playoff games</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Al-Horford-Press-Conference.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The 5-time NBA All-Star played in a league-leading 186 postseason contests before winning his first championship with the Celtics. The only player to surpass that total, who in his case never won a ring, is NBA legend Karl Malone. Horford made the postseason eight consecutive years with the Atlanta Hawks before signing with the Celtics during free agency in 2016.</p><p>In his two stints in Boston, “Big Al” has been to a total of five Eastern Conference Finals, two NBA Finals, with the second trip ending in banner #18. The Celtics needed all of Horford’s contributions during their historic championship run as their starting center Kristaps Porzingis only played in seven postseason games including three out of five Finals games. These performances helped Horford <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-al-horford-secures-old-man-record-not-since-seen-1969-with-nba-finals-win">become the first player since 1969</a> to win a championship while being older than his head coach.</p><p>As the Celtics steamrolled through the playoffs, the 37 going on 38-year-old veteran took on the starting center role, playing in all 19 postseason games and starting 15 of them. Horford played 30 minutes a game while averaging 9 points and 7 rebounds. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-news-kristaps-porzingis-injury-timetable-joe-mazzulla-update-24-25">With Porzingis expected to be out an extended period of time</a> recovering from left ankle surgery, the Celtics will look to Big Al to play a big role in their title defense. But the 17-year vet does have experience defending a major championship, having done so with the University of Florida in 2007.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics’ Al Horford tells teammates of NBA championship ring blunder

LaMarcus Aldridge

Danilo Gallinari

Vince Carter

Marco Belinelli

Al Horford

Hassan Whiteside

Kyle Korver

Tyler Herro

Patrick Beverley

Fred VanVleet

2010-11 All-NBA

2021-22 BLK Champ

2017-18 All-Defensive

5x All Star

2024 NBA Champ

2007-08 All-Rookie

Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics

Philadelphia 76ers

Oklahoma City Thunder

3 seasons

Career

1 season

8 seasons

https://twitter.com/Al_Horford/status/1604505481715875843/

https://twitter.com/Al_Horford/status/1598488444128432130/

Go Celtics!!!!!!! #Grateful ☘️💚😃 

https://twitter.com/Al_Horford/status/1499737916326785027/

Buena victoria contra un muy buen equipo. Seguimos mejorando! 💪🏾☘️ 

https://twitter.com/Al_Horford/status/1480236987797942281/

https://twitter.com/Al_Horford/status/1476405488136949763/

This loss hurts… We are going to be alright. Stay with us Celtics fans!☘️☘️☘️☘️ #together

https://twitter.com/Al_Horford/status/1460455210430746626/

https://twitter.com/Al_Horford/status/1456085014161117190/

Un orgullo y inspiración de nuestro país. Con un gran futuro por delante! 🇩🇴🇩🇴💪🏾 

https://twitter.com/Al_Horford/status/1452462320643366924/

First win of the season. Feels good!!! Go Celtics! Feliz de que ganamos. Ha seguir mejorando!!! 💪🏾☘️

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
8.8	5.4	2.2	0.9	0.7

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
8.8	5.4	2.2	0.9	0.7

Al
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Celtics’ Al Horford tells teammates of NBA championship ring blunder

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