DENVER -- For the first 45 minutes of Monday’s thriller between the Celtics and Nuggets, it wasn’t Al Horford’s night. The 11-year veteran missed eight of his first 10 shots, and had five points in a high-scoring battle between the two teams.
An overall off-shooting night had no impact on the 31-year-old late though, as evidenced by his willingness to take a critical 3-point shot in a 105-102 game with 2:12 remaining. Nikola Jokic gave him some space at the top of the key and the veteran did not hesitate to fire.
It was this very play that ended up being the perfect lead-in for the eventual game-winner, a Jaylen Brown corner 3-point shot setup by none other than Horford’s willingness to take the open jumper.
With the game tied at 108 and only 42 seconds remaining, Brad Stevens designed a simple pick-and-pop play for Kyrie Irving and Horford at the top of the key. With Horford having buried his last jumper, Jokic was determined to close hard on the center, a development that was no surprise for the All-Star.
JAYL3N! pic.twitter.com/cSLVDIz4jI
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 30, 2018