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BOSTON — The moment Billy Donovan learned what kind of competitor Al Horford is remains as clear in his memory as if it happened this week — and not 20 years ago.

“I’ll never forget it,” says Donovan, Horford’s coach at the University of Florida who is now in charge of the Chicago Bulls.

Donovan was deep into a recruiting battle to sign Horford — then a leading prospect out of Michigan — and went to watch him play in the Adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas.

Horford’s Michigan Mustangs had made, in his words, an “improbable” run to the title game, where they faced the Atlanta Celtics — one of the greatest AAU teams ever assembled — who boasted future NBA stars Dwight Howard and Josh Smith. The Mustangs lost by 20 points.

“It was one of those games where it was hard-fought,” Horford says now, “but they were the better team.”

Donovan, though, remembers the tilt for another reason.

“I’m in the gym, and I’m walking off the court out of the stands to leave,” Donovan says, “and [Horford] was over on the side of the bleachers — by himself — crying.

“And I’m like, ‘You know what? Here’s a guy, at 17 years old, who cares about winning.’ I can’t express that enough with the guy. That’s all it’s about.”

As Horford walked out of TD Garden on Wednesday night after helping the Boston Celtics claim Game 3 and a 2-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors heading into Game 4 of the NBA Finals (9 p.m. ET Friday, ABC), he smiles as he thinks back on that day.

“I remember it very vividly,” Horford says. “For me, I’m a big competitor. People channel that in different ways. But I hate losing, and it’s something that really drives me.

“[Donovan] shared that moment with me years ago … We’re kind of built like that. We hate losing and do everything we can to win.”

The two of them would go on to win plenty of games together. Not only did Donovan win that recruiting battle, he and Horford’s Gators were the last team to repeat as national champions, in 2006 and 2007.

Fast-forward through a 15-year NBA career and Horford now finds himself two wins from his first championship in his breakthrough Finals appearance.

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But this time last season, Horford was sitting at home, watching the playoffs on television and wondering whether any of this was possible.

“I would look on my phone at photos [to see] exactly what I was doing at the moment,” Horford said following Boston’s Game 7 victory over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. “I always look back and see where I was just day to day.”

Horford’s NBA future before reuniting with the Celtics couldn’t have been murkier. Two seasons ago, he fell out of the starting lineup with the Philadelphia 76ers. A trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder and a lost season with OKC followed — his first time missing the playoffs in 14 seasons — and two years remaining on his contract left his situation in flux.

Horford didn’t know if he’d still be with the Thunder or if he’d be anywhere with a chance to win, but he has taken full advantage of the life preserver thrown to him by the Celtics, the team he left in free agency three years ago.

“It’s just special to be with them and be able to help them and be a part of this,” Horford said after that Game 7. “I’m really grateful to be in this position.”

‘Continuing to reinvent myself’: An awkward fit in Philly

When Horford signed with the Celtics in 2016, it was a seminal moment for the franchise.

After a free-agency battle that had come down to the Celtics and Washington Wizards, Horford’s decision to join Boston — a city that hadn’t won recruiting battles in the past — helped set the stage for Gordon Hayward to join a year later and Kyrie Irving to arrive via trade a couple of months after that.

Horford’s versatility at both ends helped lead Boston to the East finals in 2016-17 and 2017-18. But in the summer of 2019, Horford chose to opt out of his contract, stunning the NBA world by leaving the Celtics for the division-rival 76ers — who already had star center Joel Embiid on the roster.

“I’ve always been a fan of Joel and just everything he brings on the court, off the court. There were some great battles,” Horford said during his introductory news conference. “When this opportunity came along and the possibility of teaming up with him, [it] got me really excited about the potential.”

A few months later, amid a clunky on-court fit next to Embiid, Horford flipped his tone.

“It’s almost like me continuing to reinvent myself,” Horford said midway through that season, “and trying to figure out other ways that I can be effective.”

Al Horford, left, and Joel Embiid couldn’t make their partnership work in Philadelphia. Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Horford performed well in his stints at center with Embiid off the court, proving to be a good fit with point guard Ben Simmons in those minutes. But it was a sparing role, and Horford struggled to adjust to his new reality as a floor spacer; he shot just 31.8% from 3-point range that season.

Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who was an assistant in Philadelphia that season, said Horford’s role in Boston is far different than with the 76ers, admitting it was an awkward fit from the start.

“We’ve emphasized him taking advantage of his size when teams [guard him with smaller players],” Udoka says. “[And] when he asked what I was looking for from him, it was to be able to switch on the perimeter, which is different than how we guarded in Philly.

“And then make 3s, shoot for 40%-plus [and] have more of a green light than he did in Philadelphia.”

The 76ers were matched up with Horford’s old team in the first round of the NBA playoffs inside the league’s 2020 bubble in Orlando, Florida, and he spent the series scoring a combined 28 points across four games, failing to hit a single 3-pointer while getting spun around in circles on defense.

“He was tasked with guarding Jaylen Brown in that series,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens says. “That’s not an easy spot to be in for anybody.”

The Boston Celtics lead the Golden State Warriors 2-1 with the NBA championship on the line. You can catch the action on ABC and in the ESPN App.

Game 4: Friday, 9 p.m. ET, at BOS
Game 5: Monday, 9 p.m. ET, at GS
Game 6: June 16, 9 p.m. ET, at BOS*
Game 7: June 19, 8 p.m. ET, at GS*

*If necessary

Daryl Morey — in his first move as president of basketball operations in Philadelphia — sent Horford, along with a first-round pick, to the Thunder in a draft-night deal in exchange for guard Danny Green.

“I think the theme tonight,” Morey said that evening, “was trying to improve the fit.”

It also was about shedding the final three years and more than $60 million guaranteed left on Horford’s deal at the time.

In Oklahoma City, Horford’s future became even more unclear.

‘Where I wanted to be’: A lifeline after a lost season

Horford’s arrival to the Thunder was part of a full franchise reset.

Chris Paul had just departed in a deal with the Phoenix Suns, as Thunder executive vice president Sam Presti accumulated one first-round pick after another to add to a young core led by guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

While Horford showed he could still be an effective starting center across 28 games with the franchise, averaging 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting over 36% from 3-point range, the two sides agreed to shut down his season in March.

“We’ve talked with Al from the time he became a member of the Thunder this offseason about the many ways in which he would be able to help us as we entered the early stages of the necessary transition of our team,” Presti said in a statement at the time the decision was made.

“Our conversations have been open and ongoing about how to maximize this season for him personally as well as the development of our team. Al has been nothing short of spectacular and will remain a part of the team as we build on an approach and mentality that we have taken for some time.”

Translation: There was a need to move Horford aside to allow younger players a chance at minutes and to ensure the team had the best chance possible of getting some lottery luck.

But while Oklahoma City’s direction was obvious, Horford’s career path was not.

Horford played just 28 games for the Thunder before being shut down in 2020-21. Garett Fisbeck/AP

He was a 34-year-old center in a league where fewer and fewer of them are getting paid significant money, and he had at least $40 million guaranteed over the remaining two years of his contract. At the time, it seemed very possible he could be stuck in basketball purgatory for another calendar year.

Things in Boston were just as ugly. The Celtics fell flat last season, going 36-36 and getting routed in the first round of the playoffs by the Brooklyn Nets.

Kemba Walker, the team’s maximum salary point-guard replacement for Irving, who’d unceremoniously departed for Brooklyn in the offseason, had gone from tormenting Philadelphia in the bubble to being unable to finish the Nets series due to ongoing knee issues.

When the series ended, longtime president of basketball operations Danny Ainge stepped away from the team, and Brad Stevens, after eight years as coach, moved upstairs to replace him.

The Boston Celtics lead the Golden State Warriors 2-1 in the Finals, with Game 4 set to tip off Friday (9 p.m. ET, ABC) in Boston.

GAME 3: BOS 116, GS 100
o Celtics use size, quickness to regain control

GAME 2: GS 107, BOS 88
o Steph was a problem for the Celtics
o C’s lament more third-quarter woes

GAME 1: BOS 120, GS 108
o Boston’s win one year in the making
o Celtics beat Dubs at their game

FINALS STORYLINES
o Lowe: Celtics-Warriors could be epic
o Shelburne: Reconstruction of the Warriors
o Why star duos will decide these Finals
o Series keys | Experts’ picks | Odds

And, two weeks into his tenure — just as Morey had during the prior offseason — Stevens made his first move: a trade involving Horford. Walker was dealt to Oklahoma City, along with a first-round pick, in exchange for reuniting Stevens with one of his favorite players.

“The financial flexibility was certainly a part of it,” Stevens says. “But Al had played really well in Oklahoma City. The fit in Philly was the issue, not his play, or his mobility or anything else.”

For Horford, the trade represented something else: a lifeline.

“When I got the call from Brad, it was really, really exciting,” Horford said during NBA Finals media day. “I remember I was driving home with my family from visiting my mom in Atlanta, and we got the call. We were just all screaming in the car. …

“It was a really happy time for my family at that time. Especially for me, because it’s where I wanted to be.”

‘When he came back, that gave us a sense of security’: What Horford means to Boston’s run

As the Celtics basked in the glow of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years, one specific sentiment filled most every conversation: a universal thrill for Horford.

“Nobody deserves it more than this guy on my right, right here,” Brown said while sitting next to Horford on the podium after the Game 7 win in Miami.

“His energy, his demeanor, coming in every day, being a professional, taking care of his body, being a leader, I’m proud to be able to share this moment with a veteran, a mentor, a brother, a guy like Al Horford.”

“Al could care less about the numbers,” Celtics guard Marcus Smart said. “He cares about the wins and this team. When he came back, that gave us a sense of security.”

Horford has been far more demonstrative than usual during these playoffs, repeatedly showing emotion after making big plays.

“That’s fair,” Horford said with a smile ahead of Game 2 of the Finals. “I just think that it’s the playoffs … a lot of emotions, and I feel like as we keep going along, it just keeps getting more intense.”

The moment Horford finally reached the NBA Finals: Boston’s big man had 14 rebounds in a Game 7 win over Miami in the Eastern Conference finals. USA Today Sports

While he never found the right fit next to Embiid, he has developed brilliant chemistry with Robert Williams III as the dual fulcrums of Boston’s league-leading defense, as Boston’s 99.9 defensive rating with the two of them on the court was the best of any pairing of Celtics players who played at least 400 minutes together this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Horford’s passing skills helped unlock Boston’s offense as the season progressed, as the Celtics posted an NBA-best offensive rating of 120.2 over the final 35 games of the regular season.

It was something Udoka saw coming as early as the first time he saw Horford following this summer, and how energized he was to be back in Boston.

“Once I saw him in training camp, he was great from day one,” Udoka says. “His body looked like it had changed, and I think a big part of that was being motivated to come back here, where he had success.

“He’s carried that throughout the whole season with all the ups and downs. He’s been one of our most consistent [guys] … and from there, he’s stepped it up even more so in the playoffs.”

While Horford’s steadying presence throughout has played a huge role in Boston’s run to the Finals, two performances stood out: a 30-point outburst in Boston’s Game 4 win in Milwaukee, dragging Boston back into that series and restoring home-court advantage, and 26 points and a career-high six 3-pointers in Game 1 in his Finals debut.

“Al is like the best teammate ever,” Tatum said before Game 1. “The same guy today that he was in my rookie year, welcoming everybody, doing what’s best for the team and sacrificing touches for himself.

“Just to see how happy he was to get to this point … I felt like I had been playing forever, finally getting over that hump, and it’s like, I’ve only been doing this for five years. It’s his 15th year.”

For Donovan, hearing players talk about Horford’s value in the locker room, and how much he means to them, comes as no surprise.

“You never ever, ever, ever,” Donovan says, “question where his heart’s at.

“Sometimes [for] younger players, as they’re trying to establish themselves in the league, it becomes first like, ‘OK, I’ve got to establish myself, I’ve got to earn a contract. And once I do those things and take care of me, then I’ll focus on winning.’ He’s the opposite … It’s always all about winning.”

After a circuitous three years, a stretch in which his fit and future were questioned, Horford is back in Boston — chasing a title for the first time.

“The way that I took it was ‘I’m just going to put my head down,'” Horford said before Game 2 of the Finals, “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.”

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BOSTON — The moment Billy Donovan learned what kind of competitor Al Horford is remains as clear in his memory as if it happened this week — and not 20 years ago.

“I’ll never forget it,” says Donovan, Horford’s coach at the University of Florida who is now in charge of the Chicago Bulls.

Donovan was deep into a recruiting battle to sign Horford — then a leading prospect out of Michigan — and went to watch him play in the Adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas.

Horford’s Michigan Mustangs had made, in his words, an “improbable” run to the title game, where they faced the Atlanta Celtics — one of the greatest AAU teams ever assembled — who boasted future NBA stars Dwight Howard and Josh Smith. The Mustangs lost by 20 points.

“It was one of those games where it was hard-fought,” Horford says now, “but they were the better team.”

Donovan, though, remembers the tilt for another reason.

“I’m in the gym, and I’m walking off the court out of the stands to leave,” Donovan says, “and [Horford] was over on the side of the bleachers — by himself — crying.

“And I’m like, ‘You know what? Here’s a guy, at 17 years old, who cares about winning.’ I can’t express that enough with the guy. That’s all it’s about.”

As Horford walked out of TD Garden on Wednesday night after helping the Boston Celtics claim Game 3 and a 2-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors heading into Game 4 of the NBA Finals (9 p.m. ET Friday, ABC), he smiles as he thinks back on that day.

“I remember it very vividly,” Horford says. “For me, I’m a big competitor. People channel that in different ways. But I hate losing, and it’s something that really drives me.

“[Donovan] shared that moment with me years ago … We’re kind of built like that. We hate losing and do everything we can to win.”

The two of them would go on to win plenty of games together. Not only did Donovan win that recruiting battle, he and Horford’s Gators were the last team to repeat as national champions, in 2006 and 2007.

Fast-forward through a 15-year NBA career and Horford now finds himself two wins from his first championship in his breakthrough Finals appearance.

2 Related

But this time last season, Horford was sitting at home, watching the playoffs on television and wondering whether any of this was possible.

“I would look on my phone at photos [to see] exactly what I was doing at the moment,” Horford said following Boston’s Game 7 victory over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. “I always look back and see where I was just day to day.”

Horford’s NBA future before reuniting with the Celtics couldn’t have been murkier. Two seasons ago, he fell out of the starting lineup with the Philadelphia 76ers. A trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder and a lost season with OKC followed — his first time missing the playoffs in 14 seasons — and two years remaining on his contract left his situation in flux.

Horford didn’t know if he’d still be with the Thunder or if he’d be anywhere with a chance to win, but he has taken full advantage of the life preserver thrown to him by the Celtics, the team he left in free agency three years ago.

“It’s just special to be with them and be able to help them and be a part of this,” Horford said after that Game 7. “I’m really grateful to be in this position.”

‘Continuing to reinvent myself’: An awkward fit in Philly

When Horford signed with the Celtics in 2016, it was a seminal moment for the franchise.

After a free-agency battle that had come down to the Celtics and Washington Wizards, Horford’s decision to join Boston — a city that hadn’t won recruiting battles in the past — helped set the stage for Gordon Hayward to join a year later and Kyrie Irving to arrive via trade a couple of months after that.

Horford’s versatility at both ends helped lead Boston to the East finals in 2016-17 and 2017-18. But in the summer of 2019, Horford chose to opt out of his contract, stunning the NBA world by leaving the Celtics for the division-rival 76ers — who already had star center Joel Embiid on the roster.

“I’ve always been a fan of Joel and just everything he brings on the court, off the court. There were some great battles,” Horford said during his introductory news conference. “When this opportunity came along and the possibility of teaming up with him, [it] got me really excited about the potential.”

A few months later, amid a clunky on-court fit next to Embiid, Horford flipped his tone.

“It’s almost like me continuing to reinvent myself,” Horford said midway through that season, “and trying to figure out other ways that I can be effective.”

Al Horford, left, and Joel Embiid couldn’t make their partnership work in Philadelphia. Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Horford performed well in his stints at center with Embiid off the court, proving to be a good fit with point guard Ben Simmons in those minutes. But it was a sparing role, and Horford struggled to adjust to his new reality as a floor spacer; he shot just 31.8% from 3-point range that season.

Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who was an assistant in Philadelphia that season, said Horford’s role in Boston is far different than with the 76ers, admitting it was an awkward fit from the start.

“We’ve emphasized him taking advantage of his size when teams [guard him with smaller players],” Udoka says. “[And] when he asked what I was looking for from him, it was to be able to switch on the perimeter, which is different than how we guarded in Philly.

“And then make 3s, shoot for 40%-plus [and] have more of a green light than he did in Philadelphia.”

The 76ers were matched up with Horford’s old team in the first round of the NBA playoffs inside the league’s 2020 bubble in Orlando, Florida, and he spent the series scoring a combined 28 points across four games, failing to hit a single 3-pointer while getting spun around in circles on defense.

“He was tasked with guarding Jaylen Brown in that series,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens says. “That’s not an easy spot to be in for anybody.”

The Boston Celtics lead the Golden State Warriors 2-1 with the NBA championship on the line. You can catch the action on ABC and in the ESPN App.

Game 4: Friday, 9 p.m. ET, at BOS
Game 5: Monday, 9 p.m. ET, at GS
Game 6: June 16, 9 p.m. ET, at BOS*
Game 7: June 19, 8 p.m. ET, at GS*

*If necessary

Daryl Morey — in his first move as president of basketball operations in Philadelphia — sent Horford, along with a first-round pick, to the Thunder in a draft-night deal in exchange for guard Danny Green.

“I think the theme tonight,” Morey said that evening, “was trying to improve the fit.”

It also was about shedding the final three years and more than $60 million guaranteed left on Horford’s deal at the time.

In Oklahoma City, Horford’s future became even more unclear.

‘Where I wanted to be’: A lifeline after a lost season

Horford’s arrival to the Thunder was part of a full franchise reset.

Chris Paul had just departed in a deal with the Phoenix Suns, as Thunder executive vice president Sam Presti accumulated one first-round pick after another to add to a young core led by guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

While Horford showed he could still be an effective starting center across 28 games with the franchise, averaging 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting over 36% from 3-point range, the two sides agreed to shut down his season in March.

“We’ve talked with Al from the time he became a member of the Thunder this offseason about the many ways in which he would be able to help us as we entered the early stages of the necessary transition of our team,” Presti said in a statement at the time the decision was made.

“Our conversations have been open and ongoing about how to maximize this season for him personally as well as the development of our team. Al has been nothing short of spectacular and will remain a part of the team as we build on an approach and mentality that we have taken for some time.”

Translation: There was a need to move Horford aside to allow younger players a chance at minutes and to ensure the team had the best chance possible of getting some lottery luck.

But while Oklahoma City’s direction was obvious, Horford’s career path was not.

Horford played just 28 games for the Thunder before being shut down in 2020-21. Garett Fisbeck/AP

He was a 34-year-old center in a league where fewer and fewer of them are getting paid significant money, and he had at least $40 million guaranteed over the remaining two years of his contract. At the time, it seemed very possible he could be stuck in basketball purgatory for another calendar year.

Things in Boston were just as ugly. The Celtics fell flat last season, going 36-36 and getting routed in the first round of the playoffs by the Brooklyn Nets.

Kemba Walker, the team’s maximum salary point-guard replacement for Irving, who’d unceremoniously departed for Brooklyn in the offseason, had gone from tormenting Philadelphia in the bubble to being unable to finish the Nets series due to ongoing knee issues.

When the series ended, longtime president of basketball operations Danny Ainge stepped away from the team, and Brad Stevens, after eight years as coach, moved upstairs to replace him.

The Boston Celtics lead the Golden State Warriors 2-1 in the Finals, with Game 4 set to tip off Friday (9 p.m. ET, ABC) in Boston.

GAME 3: BOS 116, GS 100
o Celtics use size, quickness to regain control

GAME 2: GS 107, BOS 88
o Steph was a problem for the Celtics
o C’s lament more third-quarter woes

GAME 1: BOS 120, GS 108
o Boston’s win one year in the making
o Celtics beat Dubs at their game

FINALS STORYLINES
o Lowe: Celtics-Warriors could be epic
o Shelburne: Reconstruction of the Warriors
o Why star duos will decide these Finals
o Series keys | Experts’ picks | Odds

And, two weeks into his tenure — just as Morey had during the prior offseason — Stevens made his first move: a trade involving Horford. Walker was dealt to Oklahoma City, along with a first-round pick, in exchange for reuniting Stevens with one of his favorite players.

“The financial flexibility was certainly a part of it,” Stevens says. “But Al had played really well in Oklahoma City. The fit in Philly was the issue, not his play, or his mobility or anything else.”

For Horford, the trade represented something else: a lifeline.

“When I got the call from Brad, it was really, really exciting,” Horford said during NBA Finals media day. “I remember I was driving home with my family from visiting my mom in Atlanta, and we got the call. We were just all screaming in the car. …

“It was a really happy time for my family at that time. Especially for me, because it’s where I wanted to be.”

‘When he came back, that gave us a sense of security’: What Horford means to Boston’s run

As the Celtics basked in the glow of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years, one specific sentiment filled most every conversation: a universal thrill for Horford.

“Nobody deserves it more than this guy on my right, right here,” Brown said while sitting next to Horford on the podium after the Game 7 win in Miami.

“His energy, his demeanor, coming in every day, being a professional, taking care of his body, being a leader, I’m proud to be able to share this moment with a veteran, a mentor, a brother, a guy like Al Horford.”

“Al could care less about the numbers,” Celtics guard Marcus Smart said. “He cares about the wins and this team. When he came back, that gave us a sense of security.”

Horford has been far more demonstrative than usual during these playoffs, repeatedly showing emotion after making big plays.

“That’s fair,” Horford said with a smile ahead of Game 2 of the Finals. “I just think that it’s the playoffs … a lot of emotions, and I feel like as we keep going along, it just keeps getting more intense.”

The moment Horford finally reached the NBA Finals: Boston’s big man had 14 rebounds in a Game 7 win over Miami in the Eastern Conference finals. USA Today Sports

While he never found the right fit next to Embiid, he has developed brilliant chemistry with Robert Williams III as the dual fulcrums of Boston’s league-leading defense, as Boston’s 99.9 defensive rating with the two of them on the court was the best of any pairing of Celtics players who played at least 400 minutes together this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Horford’s passing skills helped unlock Boston’s offense as the season progressed, as the Celtics posted an NBA-best offensive rating of 120.2 over the final 35 games of the regular season.

It was something Udoka saw coming as early as the first time he saw Horford following this summer, and how energized he was to be back in Boston.

“Once I saw him in training camp, he was great from day one,” Udoka says. “His body looked like it had changed, and I think a big part of that was being motivated to come back here, where he had success.

“He’s carried that throughout the whole season with all the ups and downs. He’s been one of our most consistent [guys] … and from there, he’s stepped it up even more so in the playoffs.”

While Horford’s steadying presence throughout has played a huge role in Boston’s run to the Finals, two performances stood out: a 30-point outburst in Boston’s Game 4 win in Milwaukee, dragging Boston back into that series and restoring home-court advantage, and 26 points and a career-high six 3-pointers in Game 1 in his Finals debut.

“Al is like the best teammate ever,” Tatum said before Game 1. “The same guy today that he was in my rookie year, welcoming everybody, doing what’s best for the team and sacrificing touches for himself.

“Just to see how happy he was to get to this point … I felt like I had been playing forever, finally getting over that hump, and it’s like, I’ve only been doing this for five years. It’s his 15th year.”

For Donovan, hearing players talk about Horford’s value in the locker room, and how much he means to them, comes as no surprise.

“You never ever, ever, ever,” Donovan says, “question where his heart’s at.

“Sometimes [for] younger players, as they’re trying to establish themselves in the league, it becomes first like, ‘OK, I’ve got to establish myself, I’ve got to earn a contract. And once I do those things and take care of me, then I’ll focus on winning.’ He’s the opposite … It’s always all about winning.”

After a circuitous three years, a stretch in which his fit and future were questioned, Horford is back in Boston — chasing a title for the first time.

“The way that I took it was ‘I’m just going to put my head down,'” Horford said before Game 2 of the Finals, “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.”

Read More

BOSTON — Klay Thompson has run the gamut of the NBA experience in his 11 years in the league. He’s seen the tremendous highs of winning three championships in four years and the lows of having to sit out more than two seasons due to injury.

As the five-time All-Star assessed the situation Wednesday after the Golden State Warriors‘ 116-100 loss to the Celtics in Game 3 of the 2022 Finals, he made a sage pronouncement.

“Getting big 2015 vibes,” Thompson said.

In those Finals seven years ago, one team was loaded with a nice mix of emerging young stars and role-playing veterans with a first-year coach who seemed to have been the perfect choice to unify and align the roster.

The other team had an incandescent multi-time most valuable player deploying all his talents to try to will his team beyond what appeared to be underdog status.

The former were the Warriors, the latter the LeBron James-carried Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was a miserable reality for James back then, repeatedly being the best player in the series but having to swallow going against a better team.

The situation in these unfolding 2022 Finals isn’t as clear, but this could be the first time throughout his portfolio of six Finals that Stephen Curry finds himself in that humbling position. It is one where some heroic play is going to be needed to carry his team in a way these Warriors have never needed Curry before … the way the Cavs needed James.

To be clear, this wasn’t the point Thompson was making. He was referring to the Warriors being down 2-1 and on the road in that Finals before they rallied to win games 4 through 6. He was trying to sell that he foresees such a turnaround coming again.

“They have some very good players on their team obviously. I don’t think they have LeBron James,” Thompson said. “We’ve been here before, we can rely on our experience.”

Thompson is right, the Celtics don’t have a James. But the Warriors have a Curry and they sure need him — and need to hope the foot injury he suffered after Al Horford fell on him late in Game 3 isn’t serious. He had 31 points in Game 3, his shot-making brilliance emerging more and more as the Celtics tightened their grip around him. Still, watching the Warriors heavily rely on Curry’s individual playmaking — coach Steve Kerr has increasingly relied on straight Curry pick-and-rolls instead of Golden State’s typical motion offense when the games were in the balance — the actions speak louder than the words.

Curry is averaging 31.3 points in this series so far, shooting a sizzling 49% on 3-pointers. In his previous five Finals, he shot 39% on 3-pointers. In 2015, when he was squaring off against James for the first time, he shot a pedestrian 34% for the series, and just 32% as the Warriors fell behind 2-1. But the Warriors had the edge over the short-handed Cavs and Curry’s subpar shooting by his lofty standards didn’t matter as much.

If Curry shot 34% from deep the rest of this series it would probably be a runaway in Boston’s favor.

The Warriors have been struggling to create half-court offense against the size of the Celtics’ wings and the versatility of their big men. Even with Thompson breaking out of a mini-slump to score 25 points, Game 3 represented Golden State’s second-lowest scoring output this postseason. It was the eighth time in 31 Finals games under Kerr that the Warriors scored 101 or less — they’ve lost all eight.

When Curry was asked if, like Thompson, he felt any parallels between now and 2015, he was frank: “Nothing specific,” he said flatly.

The Boston Celtics lead the Golden State Warriors 2-1 with the NBA championship on the line. You can catch the action on ABC and in the ESPN App.

Game 4: Friday, 9 p.m. ET, at BOS
Game 5: Monday, 9 p.m. ET, at GS
Game 6: June 16, 9 p.m. ET, at BOS*
Game 7: June 19, 8 p.m. ET, at GS*

*If necessary

Certainly he would not from this side of the scenario. Nor would this be reminiscent of 2017 or 2018 when the Warriors had the significantly better team. No matter how many 40-point games James put up, it would not matter.

The spread between the Warriors and Celtics is much tighter than that. All three games, though they ended lopsided, were decided in the fourth quarter. There is just a nine-point spread in the Celtics’ favor in aggregate. It’s not clear that Boston has the advantage, but there’s a good case. The Celtics look like the deeper, taller and more skilled team.

At the start of this series, the oddsmakers liked the Warriors as a slight favorite, owing to the homecourt advantage and a significant edge in Finals experience. The computers, however, seeing all sorts of positive defensive numbers, loved Boston.

Curry is good enough to overcome it, of course. The Warriors have a lot going for them and their top gear is absolutely good enough.

“It does help knowing that we’ve been through a little of everything the last eight years and can draw through that experience,” Curry said. “Obviously we still feel like we can win the series.”

But the margin for error is slim and Curry, even with a possible sore left foot, will be asked to do more, and he’s already doing so much.

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Death metal gets stereotyped as a one-trick pony, but plenty of bands in the genre are thoughtfully breaking the mold. In the midwest, they include Michigan death-doom outfit Temple of Void. Formed in 2013 by veterans of Detroit’s metal and hardcore scenes, the five-piece have earned accolades for their gritty, genre-bending albums—in 2020, The World That Was landed them the number-three spot on Kerrang’s list of the “50 greatest death metal bands right now.” But with their new fourth album, Summoning the Slayer (their debut for Relapse), they’ve blown even their own previous best clear out of the water. On the tails of diabolical opener “Behind the Eye,” “Deathtouch” delivers some of the most compelling gothic doom I’ve heard from any band that isn’t named Paradise Lost, making it one of my favorite songs in any genre so far this year. It’s the longest track on the album at a bit more than eight minutes, but its majestic atmospheres, provocative twists and turns, and melodic flourishes will have you replaying it over and over like a bite-size radio jam. “Engulfed” provides a searing follow-up; its ghoulish plod drags its prey kicking and screaming into a hellish abyss, but then the song changes directions, eventually setting sail on an epic voyage across a starlit sky and into the great beyond. On the second half of the record, “Hex, Curse, & Conjuration” bursts with death-metal filth, while “The Transcending Horror” borrows cues from celestial posthardcore and alternative rock. And lest you think the band have played every card in their hand, Summoning the Slayer ends with “Dissolution,” a dreamy, acoustic-guitar-driven about-face that’s more likely to summon fairies and elves than demons. With such masterful musical shape-shifters at the helm, no territory is off the map.

Temple of Void’s Summoning the Slayer is available through Bandcamp.

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Death metal gets stereotyped as a one-trick pony, but plenty of bands in the genre are thoughtfully breaking the mold. In the midwest, they include Michigan death-doom outfit Temple of Void. Formed in 2013 by veterans of Detroit’s metal and hardcore scenes, the five-piece have earned accolades for their gritty, genre-bending albums—in 2020, The World That Was landed them the number-three spot on Kerrang’s list of the “50 greatest death metal bands right now.” But with their new fourth album, Summoning the Slayer (their debut for Relapse), they’ve blown even their own previous best clear out of the water. On the tails of diabolical opener “Behind the Eye,” “Deathtouch” delivers some of the most compelling gothic doom I’ve heard from any band that isn’t named Paradise Lost, making it one of my favorite songs in any genre so far this year. It’s the longest track on the album at a bit more than eight minutes, but its majestic atmospheres, provocative twists and turns, and melodic flourishes will have you replaying it over and over like a bite-size radio jam. “Engulfed” provides a searing follow-up; its ghoulish plod drags its prey kicking and screaming into a hellish abyss, but then the song changes directions, eventually setting sail on an epic voyage across a starlit sky and into the great beyond. On the second half of the record, “Hex, Curse, & Conjuration” bursts with death-metal filth, while “The Transcending Horror” borrows cues from celestial posthardcore and alternative rock. And lest you think the band have played every card in their hand, Summoning the Slayer ends with “Dissolution,” a dreamy, acoustic-guitar-driven about-face that’s more likely to summon fairies and elves than demons. With such masterful musical shape-shifters at the helm, no territory is off the map.

Temple of Void’s Summoning the Slayer is available through Bandcamp.

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What’s necessary for summer? Answer: Soft serve and bubble tea! Also known as pearl milk tea, boba milk tea, or simply “boba,” this Asian drink was invented in Taichung in the 1980s. Slurping up the chewy tapioca pearls through a thick straw is ~oddly satisfying~ and the drink itself will give you a pep in your step! Now that you’re craving this delicious beverage, check out these top places to get the best bubble tea in Chicago. 

1632 W Division St. Chicago, IL 60622

From rich and creamy ice cream to yummy bubble tea, Kurimu’s menu has been crafted with the ultimate creativity and thought. Try their Boba Milk Tea with assam black, jasmine green, or earl grey tea. Or go for the Black Sugar Boba Latte for something a little different!

2026 S Clark St Unit G. Chicago, IL 60616

Here’s a cool story: once upon a time, a group of people found it very difficult to find a good cup of pure tea which not only tasted great but consisted of pure/natural ingredients. Therefore, this group decided to take matters into their own hands and launch Tsaocaa. Favorites include Double Purple Bubble Milk, Cocoa Bubble Milk, and Uji Matcha Bubble Milk. The hardest part will be choosing!

333 S State St. Chicago, IL 60604

Don’t be shy, “pop” into (sorry, had to) this adorable downtown location for cuppa pure joy. Try their 3Q Milk Tea, a special signature drink with pudding, herb jelly, and tapioca. Or you can’t go wrong with their Jasmine Lychee Tea or Oreo Creme Brulee. Pro-tip: get double tapioca for an extra $1.50 (trust us). 

108 N State St Block 37 Pedway. Chicago, IL 60602

A milk tea ATM? Say no more. Mycha is a fridge-slash-vending-machine with a variety of bubble tea, fruit tea, and coffee selections serving the Chicagoland area. Get your Asian drink fix 24/7 with menu items like Roasted Oolong Milk Tea with Crystal Boba or Genmaicha Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Crystal Boba. Yum and yum!

520 N Michigan Ave Ste 421. Chicago, IL 60611

The folks at Te’Amo are all about love – love for health, tea, and one another. Their staff takes time to research and deliver the highest quality of organic ingredients and lead the tea community to a healthier lifestyle. If you’re looking for something unique, try their Te’amo O2 — a floral lemonade with Te’amo Q and crystal boba. Or go for the Dalgona Matcha w Boba. Both options are *chef’s kiss.*

1139 W Taylor St. Chicago, IL 60607

Come here for the unique mochi + donut combo. Stay for their epic bubble teas! Choose from six flavors including from Ube, Matcha, Coffee, Thai, Milk, or Brown Sugar. Each pairs perfectly with bright purple Ube or Black Sugar Mochinut. Cheers!

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BOSTON — Once again, the Celtics found themselves being pummeled by the Golden State Warriors in a third quarter.

And as Stephen Curry‘s 3-pointer fell through the basket with 3 minutes, 45 seconds to go in the third quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night, capping a 10-0 Golden State run and making it 83-82 Warriors, there was a collective groan from the sold-out crowd inside TD Garden:

Here we go, again.

Only, the Celtics — for the second time in this series — found a way to respond to a Warriors punch to the jaw in the third quarter with their own haymaker in the fourth, limiting Golden State to just 11 fourth-quarter points as Boston went on to win 116-100, lifting the C’s to a 2-1 series lead.

“I felt like our team really stayed poised in those moments,” Celtics center Al Horford said. “As you know, earlier in the year, that could have gone south quickly.

“But we stayed right with it and just locked in and didn’t panic and just continued to play.”

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As Horford alluded to, Boston hasn’t been a team capable of doing that all season long. But since the Celtics flipped their season around for good in late January, they’ve proved to be incredibly resilient. Wednesday’s Game 3 victory saw Boston improve to 7-0 in these playoffs in games following a loss, as the Celtics have yet to lose back-to-back games this postseason.

Since Jan. 23, the Celtics have gone 13-1 in games following a loss.

“I think that’s kind of when we turned our season around, when we turned that corner,” Boston forward Jayson Tatum said. “Earlier in the season, we would have given up leads and lost games like that, whereas now — things happen, right. They’re a great team. They’ve got great players. They’re going to make shots. They’re going to go on runs. But it’s all about how you respond.

“We didn’t hold our head down or anything. We called a timeout, regrouped, figured it out and made winning plays. I was definitely proud of the group for that.”

The Celtics had to do that because, once again, they failed to get any traction in the third quarter. Golden State has now outscored Boston by 43 points across the three third quarters so far in this series, as the Warriors have repeatedly been able to twist the Celtics into knots defensively.

That, of course, is driven by Stephen Curry, who finished with 31 points on 12-for-22 shooting in 37 minutes. He also generated a seven-point possession in the third quarter by hitting a 3 while being flagrantly fouled by Horford, allowing Curry to then hit the free throw, followed by Otto Porter Jr. knocking down another 3.

A minute later, a Curry 3 put Golden State up 83-82 — and put Boston back on its heels.

But rather than fall apart, the Celtics responded. They went on an 11-6 run over the final few minutes of the third quarter to retake the lead heading into the fourth. From there, the Celtics outscored Golden State 23-11, holding the Warriors to just one basket over the first three minutes as Boston went on a quick 9-2 run to balloon its lead back up into double digits.

“For me, it was just be poised,” Celtics guard Marcus Smart said. “Just stay calm. We’ve been here before. They’re a really good team. They’re going to go on runs, but so are we. We just have to bolt down and go on our run.”

It helped that Boston had Robert Williams III patrolling the paint. While Tatum, Smart and Jaylen Brown all put up more than 20 points, five rebounds and five assists — becoming the first trio of teammates to accomplish that feat in an NBA Finals game since Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Cooper did it for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Celtics in 1984 — it was Williams who was a team-best plus-21 in 25 minutes, finishing with eight points, 10 rebounds, four blocked shots and a mountain of hustle plays.

“He’s a game-changer,” Horford said of Williams. “Rob is really a game-changer. We’re very fortunate to have a guy like that that impacts winning in the way that he does, because it’s beyond the numbers with him. It’s just all the things that he brings, being in the right places. I’ve been so impressed with Rob, just his ability to just continue to get better and learn.

“He learns. We talk to him, I feel like we can ask a lot of him and he always takes it in, figures it out, and it’s better. But his stuff goes beyond the box score, the impact that he has on the game.”

Williams has seen that impact fluctuate from game to game throughout these playoffs, as he has been dealing with issues with his left knee for more than two months. He had surgery on his meniscus in that knee at the end of March, which knocked him out for the end of the regular season and the beginning of Boston’s first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets.

He then suffered a bone bruise in that same knee in Boston’s second-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, causing him to miss the final three games of that series, as well as Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat. Since then, Williams has been questionable every game — only to be cleared in the hours leading up to tipoff.

“It’s been rough,” Williams said of managing his knee. “Throwing everything at it. Usually it’s more sore the day after the game, obviously, adrenaline going down. But we did some different things today, got on the bike a little bit earlier before the game. I benefited from it.”

That he was feeling good was clear. Williams was all over the place on the court, frequently scrambling for loose balls, flying across the lane to contest shots and finding himself in the center of the action consistently.

“I’m constantly talking to Rob, just for the simple fact I know what he’s going through,” Smart said. “He’s hurting, and even though he’s hurt, he still wants to get out and help his team. But at the same time, he’s thinking about his career. Like I just told him, ‘You know your body. You know what you can withstand and what you can’t. But just know, we’ve got a chance to do something special. There’s no guarantees that we’ll be back here. If you can go, we’ll take 20 percent of you better than none of you.’

“He understood that, and he decided to go out there and put his big boy pants on and suck it up and go crazy.”

The Celtics spent the three days between their ugly Game 2 loss and Game 3 talking about the need to play with more energy and effort. That message was evident from the opening tip, as Boston immediately set the tone with its physical play at both ends. Boston won the rebounding battle by 16, including grabbing 15 offensive rebounds, and didn’t allow Golden State to speed things up, committing just 12 turnovers — including only one in the fourth quarter.

As a result, Boston is now two wins away from a championship. And after once again bouncing back from a loss — as well as a body blow from the Warriors during the game itself — the Celtics now have to do what they have so regularly failed to do in these playoffs: respond like this to a win.

“Another bounce-back from us,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. “My message to the group was, ‘We’ve done this after losses; let’s respond the right way after a win now.'”

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