Jason Tatum, who had been iron all the time, finally found his sense in the final quarter, with 12 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists on 5-of-6 shooting in the quarter, which is the attitude he must take as the core of the Celtics. However, the focus of the whole game was not on Tatum, and the 36-year-old Al Horford had 16 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist on 6-of-6 shooting in the final quarter, which was the key to the Celtics' ability to beat the Bucks on the road. Moreover, Horford was in excellent form throughout the game, shooting 11 of 14 from 7 from 7 three-point range and 4 free throws for 30 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block.
For the Celtics who lost home advantage, G4 is a game that must be won, once they lose the game, they will face a 1-3 behind situation, even if the fifth game is home, the Celtics will lose the initiative of the series. The Bucks, who wield home-court advantage, took a seven-point lead in the first three quarters, and the Celtics had little way to retreat, but fortunately, Tatum found the feel in time, and Horford dreamed back to the top. In contrast, Horford's performance is more stable and more rare.
In the summer of 2019, the 76ers offered Horford a four-year, $109 million contract that was generally looked down upon, and later Horford's performance confirmed fan speculation, after which Horford was traded to the Thunder, but he was no longer the Thunder's rebuilding plan. After a round trip, Horford returned to the Celtics, who knew that the deal actually made Horford glow a second spring, the first eight games of the playoffs, Horford can average 15.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, shooting 56.5% from the field, shooting 53.5% from three-point range, and averaging 18.8 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in the four semifinals with the Bucks, shooting 54.9% and 50% from three-point range.
As a 36-year-old veteran, Horford's athleticism has declined significantly, but he has a wealth of game experience and can integrate well into the team. However, his role is not only to perform well on the offensive end, but also for Horford on the defensive end, which makes the letter Goyonis Antetokounmpo once again a trapped beast. In four games, Horford directly confronted Alphabet Brother on the defensive end for 19 minutes and 14 seconds, resulting in Alphabet Brother shooting 19 of 53 shots during this time, shooting only 35.8% from the field, and 1 of 9 from three-point range, shooting only 11.1%. When the alphabet brother who is good at impacting the inside line meets Horford, the old hot Horford turns the alphabet brother into a trapped beast.
The scene is very similar to the first round of 2018, when the Bucks fought the Celtics seven games and eventually lost, Horford in that round of the series averaged 18.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game, shooting 58.8% from the field and 43.8% from three-point range. Is it really only by wearing the Celtics jersey that Horford find himself?
In addition, there is another point, Horford seems to be better at away games, four home, Horford averaged 14.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, shooting 51.2% from the field, 45.5% from three-point range, and contributing 17 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3 assists on four away games, shooting 61.9% from the field and 61.9% from three-point range. The distractions of the away fans didn't seem to have an effect on Horford, and he had a bit of an away silencer feel.
Text/Duncan's laugh