How Horford’s connection with C’s fans was key to Game 5 win vs. Cavs

How Horford’s connection with C’s fans was key to Game 5 win vs. Cavs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON — A hyped-up Al Horford may have been the difference between another letdown Boston Celtics loss at home and a punched ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.

TD Garden was noticeably quiet while the undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers kept it close in the first half of Wednesday’s Game 5 matchup. That was until late in the second quarter when Horford followed a 3-point make by forcing a Cavs turnover on the other end. His fired-up reaction brought much-needed life to the building.

Just two minutes later, Horford sent C’s fans into a frenzy with his hustle. The 37-year-old jumped into Boston’s bench while chasing down a loose ball and threw it off the Cavs.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum noted that moment as the one that flipped the switch at the Garden.

“The one play in particular when he saved the ball out of bounds in the last two minutes of the second quarter,” Tatum said. “It just gave us the extra posession and pumped the crowd up, pumped our team up. Those plays — that was so meaningful.”

Horford carried his energy into the second half, picking up where he left off with a dunk, a 3-pointer, three rebounds, and an assist within the first five minutes of the third quarter. When he checked out of the game at the 6:24 mark, the fans recognized his efforts with a standing ovation.

Boston’s 113-98 win couldn’t have had a more fitting ending. With just under a minute to go, Horford drilled his sixth and final 3-pointer and shared one more moment with the Garden crowd.

“It’s special when you’re here at the Garden,” Horford said. “This is something I just don’t take for granted. The energy of the fans. Our fans, they love the Celtics. They want us to play hard, they want us to play the right way. And I just felt very connected with them tonight, with the way that we were playing, that we got it going.

“I felt like there was that connection there, and there was just a few times that I wanted to be embraced by them in those moments. That fuels me, that fuels our team. So, it was pretty special here tonight.”

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/horfords-connection-cs-fans-key-034725911.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-05-16 03:56:18

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