The Boston Celtics arrived for tonight's game (Tuesday) against the Milwaukee Bucks with their backs to the wall.
After Yannis and his team managed to win in Boston and steal the home advantage, the Celtics knew that a loss today in Milwaukee would almost end the story in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Luckily for the Celtics, she got help from an unexpected place - Al Horford.
The 36-year-old veteran chin was everywhere on the field - in the final quarter he scored 16 points (6-6 from the field), en route to 30 points in the entire game (a record for him in the playoffs) and 8 rebounds.
The turning point in the game for Horford was a defensive move in which he failed to stop Yannis Antecompo on the way to the Greek's powerful dunk - which added a look towards the warming Horford.
"I did not like Yannis' look and behavior. Something changed in me" he admitted at the end of the game.
Giannis received a technical foul for staring down Al Horford after a dunk 😳 pic.twitter.com/i8SoV2scbd
- SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 10, 2022
In the final quarter of the game Horford returned to Antecompo - when he took a ball to the ring and finished with an almost identical dunk, sending the Milwaukee superstar to the floor and also taking out an offense.
Instead of coffee, I'm just going to watch Al Horford's dunk on a loop for a morning jolt.
pic.twitter.com/E4CethuWX8
- Adam Pellerin (@adampellerin) May 10, 2022
The members of the team did not remain indifferent, Marcus Smart Pargan on Twitter: "When I'm almost 36 years old, please God, please let me be just part of the player he is. I mean - what an amazing friend and player to the team."
When Im almost 36 years old, please Lord, please let me be just a fraction of the player that @Al_Horford is!
I mean- what an absolute amazing teammate and player.
Big team win fellas.
pic.twitter.com/Jiondp3FsS
- marcus smart (@ smart_MS3) May 10, 2022
Coach Udoka said: "We needed him to take a step forward when other teammates were missing, and he took it on his shoulders."
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
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