Celtics veteran Al Horford's unbothered reaction to 76ers crowd's behavior
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Boston Celtics veteran center Al Horford finished with 11 points, including going 3-for-5 from deep, four rebounds, and a team-high plus-20 in 17 minutes in the Celtics' 124-104 win against the Philadelphia 76ers. Over five years removed from when Horford inked a four-year, $109 million deal with the 76ers only to play one season in Philadelphia before returning to Boston. Al is still booed at the Wells Fargo Center and likes it.
Horford revealed he's unbothered by the 76ers fans, per CelticsBlog's Noa Dalzel.
"It's great," Horford said. "If it's fun, then it's fine. I like that they care enough to boo. It's good to be cared for."
Al Horford said he likes the 76ers booing him:
"They care enough to boo. It's good to be cared for." pic.twitter.com/g9VGnEZruz
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) February 21, 2025
Jaylen Brown (20 points) led the Celtics starters in scoring. Kristaps Porzingis added 17 points, and Jayson Tatum finished with a triple-double (15 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists). However, Payton Pritchard's 28 points, including eight threes off the bench, led all scorers.
Horford anchored the Celtics' bench in Thursday's win against the Sixers. He's also started in 29 games for Boston this season. Al averages 8.0 points on 40.8/88.9/35.9 shooting splits, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game. His 8.0 points is the fewest he's ever averaged throughout his career, and his 35.9% on threes this season is the first time he's shot below 40% from behind the arc since 2021-22.
Still, Celtics’ Al Horford remains efficient against his former team. He scored 17 points, including tying a season-high five threes in a 118-114 loss to the 76ers on Christmas Day.
Jayson Tatum endorses Payton Pritchard after Celtics' win
Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum endorsed Payton Pritchard for Sixth Man of the Year. Pritchard's 28-point performance marked the 17th time he's scored 20+ points, and the second time he's connected on eight threes this season, which ties his season-high.
After beating the 76ers, Tatum reacted to Pritchard's big night, per NBA on TNT.
"He's unbelievable, what he brings to the scene on a given night, especially off the bench," Tatum said. "You know we got a few weeks left, but he got to be Sixth Man of the Year."
"He got to be 6th Man of The Year." @ALaForce and Jayson Tatum talk Payton Pritchard after he knocked down 8 3PT off the bench. pic.twitter.com/yfif4ompXc
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 21, 2025
Pritchard is averaging 14.1 points on 47.1% shooting, including 41.5% from deep, 3.5 assists, and 0.9 steals per game this season. He's reached career highs in each statistical category, including 28.0 minutes per game in 2024-25. Pritchard's making a strong case for himself while the defending champion Celtics continue to steamroll their opponents.
The Celtics have won nine of their last eleven games, six of which were by an 18+ point margin. With a 40-16 record, they are second in the Eastern Conference, leading the Knicks by 2.5 games.
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