NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. WARRIORS

June 4, 2022

Al Horford

Boston Celtics

Practice Day

Q. It seems like you've, on court anyway, you've been wearing your emotions a little more on your sleeve lately, just sort of celebrating things. Can you describe that feeling and just what it's like making these Finals?

AL HORFORD: Yeah, that's fair. I just think that it's the playoffs, you know moments, a lot of emotion into these games, a lot of emotions, and I feel like as we keep going along, it just keeps getting more intense.

It's fun, and I'm really enjoying it out there. Yeah, just kind of letting some stuff out now.

Q. Al, you've played on some great defenses, and you've played on some good defenses here before you got here. What's the difference between this defense this year and the ones you played on here before in Boston and others you've played on?

AL HORFORD: Yeah, well, just speaking about this team solely, the ability of our guys being able to guard one through five, it's huge. When you're able to do that and just switch all of us and being able to hold your own, I think it makes us very unique.

Then when you have a guy like Rob Williams, that man is just so impressive, just his presence, his ability to change shots, to make people think going into the paint, just the way that he can move, the way that he recovers, I just feel like it has put us at a different level. It just has.

In the past I've been a part of really, really good defensive teams, we have. One that stands out to me was Tatum's rookie year, and Aron Baynes was great for us, the way that he protected the basket, his verticality. That was about as good a defensive team as I've been on. And then this one. This one is very unique. The ability of guys to switch one through five, and even the guys that come from the bench are able to do the same thing and hold their own and find a way and are just tough, I feel like that's what has made us unique.

Q. Two things: First, obviously it was your first Finals game on Thursday, and you've waited a long time to get here. What have these past few days been like, and has it been different in any way or the same as to what you expected it would be?

AL HORFORD: It's been different just because it was my birthday yesterday, so just a lot of people texting me "happy birthday," like all that stuff. Then playing basketball at this time of year, it's something that I always wanted to do and be in these positions, so it's been exciting for me.

Really I had no expectations how it was going to be, but after a win, you feel good. I just kind of bring myself back down and understand that it's only one game and there's still a lot of work ahead.

Q. Third quarters for basically this whole playoff run, something you talked about a lot, Golden State is historically great in those quarters. That's sort of how Game 1 went. What has to change for that not to be the case in Game 2 and beyond so you don't have to dig out of a hole the way you did in fourth quarter?

AL HORFORD: No question. We have to be better coming out in the third. We have to be able to match their energy, their pace, and they do a really good job with that. I think it's something that we can control and it's something that we need to be better at coming out tomorrow.

Q. Going into this playoff run, I'm just wondering, when did the championship talk start? Was that just sort of an elephant in the room? Was that something you guys talked about when the season started to turn around, going into the postseason, and if so, what were those talks like?

AL HORFORD: Not many talks honestly. I think, when you play for the Boston Celtics, I mean, I know it may sound arrogant, but when you play for the Celtics, the expectation is to win a championship. Even when I got here in '16, that was the expectation even then. That's what it is in the organization. We don't have to talk about it. We don't even talk about it at this point. We're just taking it a game at a time.

But every year I've been a part of the Celtics, that's always been kind of the expectation. That's a standard that's there, and you're just working. Right now there's no talk about that, it's just we're focusing on Game 2 right now.

Q. Two questions: First off, what did you do to enjoy your birthday? Second question is when you left here for Philadelphia, things obviously didn't work out how you or the Sixers wanted it. Oklahoma City, things didn't work out. Lots of questions about whether does Al still have it? Then you come to Boston, and you look like have of late. What transformed in your game or just in your approach, or just what difference was it in you that led you to being as impactful as you've been in your second tour of duty, similar to what you were in the first, that wasn't there in those two stops in between?

AL HORFORD: Well, yesterday I just hung out with the family, did a little sightseeing around San Francisco and then got some food. That was nice.

Then to your question, I just think for me there was much more of an appreciation the second time around. The first time around there was as well, and we were in good positions. But for me this time around, Jayson, Jaylen, and Marcus have taken huge steps as players. They're in another level than when I was here the two years prior, and Rob Williams comes in, and it's just Rob, unbelievable the leap he took from one year to another.

Then with me coming in, it was just seeing that, and for me individually, it was having an opportunity to play and show what I can do. I've always felt confident in how I can impact the team and how I can play, and it's a little frustrating when you're not able to carry out or do those things. The way that I took it was I'm just going to put my head down and continue to work during those years in Philly, during the year in Oklahoma, get better, and wait for my time.

I knew the time was going to come, that I was going to be able to be in these types of positions and have this opportunity. Now that it's here, I'm just very grateful and really making the most of it.

Q. Al, what do you think is the binding element for this team, the thing that has brought this team together to be the way that it is?

AL HORFORD: I believe it has to do with our guys just wanting to win, and we enjoy being around each other. We understand the challenges, but I do believe it's our will to wanting to win because it's not about the individual stuff, and I think our guys understand it's more than that.

You can see it with our play, especially with our defense, the way that we're connected, the way that we play. We're enjoying being out there with one another and playing and being in those positions.

Q. I apologize if this has already been asked, but you guys have been exceptional at times and then not exceptional at all at times. It seems like there's been a roller coaster in that -- you guys show what you're capable of, and then at times it seems mysterious that you can't reach that level. Any explanation as to why you've been so up and down, even in these playoffs throughout these series?

AL HORFORD: I think, even though a lot of our guys, we have had playoff experience, we've been part of winning teams -- and I've said this before, this team this year, we're all in this together trying to figure out how we can be better, how we can win together, and it can be a challenge sometimes, and sometimes you feel like you have it figured out and you take a step back, and then you have to regroup and look at things and move forward.

The good thing about our group is I feel like we're continuing to grow. Even as these playoffs have gone on, I've seen our team get better, and that's something that's been consistent with our group. And our guys have taken the criticism from Coach or what we need to work on, and we've been able to learn from it and move on and try to be better. That's what we've done, and that's what we're going to continue to do.

From Game 1 to Game 2 now, we're looking to be better and see how we can tighten up and be even better for the next game.