The return of Al Horford took another step forward this week when the Hawks center began doing two-on-two contact work. Horford said he has been doing the limited contact work for the past three days.

Horford is returning from a torn right pectoral muscle that required surgery in December. The team expects him to be ready for opening night. However, they are bringing him along slowly since it’s the second time he has tore a pectoral muscle causing him to miss most of a season. He must next be cleared for three-one-three, four-on-four and finally five-on-five contact.

Horford said he expects to play in several exhibition games before the regular-season opener Oct. 29.

“I feel good,” Horford told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution following shoot-around Monday before the Hawks hosted the Pelicans. “I’ll see how I feel tomorrow and maybe start doing more in practice, more than I have been doing.”

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