The Boston Celtics seemed to have turned a corner on the West Coast.
After a dreadful stretch heading into and directly following the NBA All-Star Break, in which the team lost seven of 10 games, the C’s have rediscovered their groove in California. Following the beneficial long plane ride, Boston crushed the Golden State Warriors and picked up wins against the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers.
Coinciding with the Celtics’ resurgence has been the outstanding play of Al Horford.
The 32-year-old was one of the few bright spots on the floor during the Celtics’ dreary streak, and he has kept his form up on the team’s current road trip, averaging 15.8 points per game in his last five, which is an encouraging sign after the center battled a knee injury for a chunk of the season.
Horford, according the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy, attributes his form to finally being healthy.
“It’s fair to say I’m playing my best basketball of the year, probably since I’ve been in Boston, to be honest,” Horford said. “I’m at a really good point in my career right now. Just the way coach is using me, and I can bring to the team, I’m at my best right now.
“It’s health. Before that I wasn’t what I needed to be physically, and now that I’m feeling good, it’s been fun for me.”
Horford plays a massive role for the C’s on the floor and off of it as the team’s most senior leader. Having him at 100 percent provides the Celtics another wrinkle offensively, and if the Celtics plan on capping their turnaround and riding a wave of momentum into the NBA playoffs, they need Horford at the top of his game.
