The Boston Celtics have had an up-and-down start to the season, with a 2-4 record heading into Monday’s game against the 5-1 Chicago Bulls. But one area of their play that has stood out above the rest is the play of their bigs, Al Horford and Robert Williams III, and one specific statistic sets Boston ahead of nearly the entirety of the NBA.
Horford leads the league in blocks per game (3.8) and Williams ranks second with 3.2 blocks per game. Combined, their average of seven blocks per game is higher than that of 27 teams in the league as the Celtics outpace the competition with 8.5. The Minnesota Timberwolves (7.4) and the Philadelphia 76ers (7.0) are among the next best in the category.
Speaking to NBA.com’s Taylor Snow prior to Monday’s shootaround, Horford explained how the pair is able to keep up the next-level defense even when playing alongside each other.
“I just think (the blocks) are just a result of our awareness and the way that we’re playing, making sure that we’re having each other’s backs out there,” he said. “Whether it’s coming up the help side or if it’s a 1-on-1 matchup, we’re taking the challenge defending.”
The pair is on pace to make Celtics history. Just two players in franchise history (Kevin McHale and Robert Parish) have averaged more than two blocks in a season, and no Boston player has led the league in blocks since they were first tracked in the 1973-74 season.
Horford and Williams will look to keep it going Monday against the Bulls. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. ET.
