While Jayson Tatum led the way in scoring and Jrue Holiday made a game-winning steal in the final seconds of the game, it would have been tough for the Boston Celtics to mount a comeback in Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers without 37-year-old veteran Al Horford.
Horford scored 23 points and made 7 of 12 3-pointers, and in the process, he made history for more reasons than one.
Horford’s seven three-pointers Fourth-most in Eastern Conference Finals gamesbut he also The fourth center in history In a playoff game Oldest player Accomplish a feat.
One of Horford’s 3-pointers came in a crucial moment with just over a minute left in the game. Down by five, Tatum drove to the basket and beautifully threaded a behind-the-back pass to Horford in the corner for a totally free 3-pointer that cut the lead to two.
“That was special,” Horford said of Tatum’s pass. “He drove to the basket, felt like he had a lane, and I don’t know how he got there, but he had to improvise. He just kept making the right play over and over. It was an unbelievable play. At that point, for me, it was just, ‘Take your time and make the pass.'”
The Celtics currently hold a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Pacers and will be looking to secure another Finals berth with a sweep on Monday night in Indiana. Game kickoff is at 8 PM ET, with live Celtics postgame coverage on NBC Sports Boston beginning at 7 PM ET.
