Tommy Heinsohn is apparently no fan of Al Horford.
The Celtics great appeared on a postgame show on Comcast SportsNet New England following the Hawks’ 102-101 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series on Saturday.
Here was Heinsohn’s take on the game:
“They (the Celtics) had to be totally despondent going into the locker room. The fact that they turned it around shows what kind of heart this basketball team has. That is the encouraging part. The additional encouraging part is if they can go out and stay aggressive at both ends of the floor, they can beat this team because (Al) Horford, as much as you think he’s a great player, he’s not a great player. Get a man on him and he has trouble scoring.”
Horford led the Hawks with 24 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the series opening victory at Philips Arena. The Hawks led by as many as 19 points before the Celtics rallied in the second half.
Horford took the slight from Heinsohn in stride.
“I didn’t see (the comment) but that’s his opinion,” Horford said following practice on Monday in advance of Game 2 on Tuesday. “You’ve got to respect it. … That’s his opinion. That’s how he feels.”
Horford’s teammate Kent Bazemore was shocked when told of the comment, a reaction clear on his face as his eyes opened wide.
“Oh wow,” Bazemore said. “Al is a great player. He has extended his range. He can shoot it. He can protect the rim. He can block shots. He’s a great leader. I could go on all day about all the accolades he has. Al is a great teammate.
“There is always someone who is going to say a guy is not a good player. Jesus Christ had haters so what can you say?”
Horford was rumored to be target of the Celtics at the NBA trade deadline in February and a player they might pursue as an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Heinsohn’s two co-hosts on the televised show did not necessarily agree. Kyle Draper followed the comment by saying, “I’ll tell you what, if he puts on green next season, Tommy wants his jersey retired, hanging from the rafters.”
Horford, the Hawks’ four-time all-star center said he would not use the comments as additional motivation.
“I’ve been in the league a long time,” Horford said. “I know I have to focus on my team. This is the play offs. We are in a great opportunity. We are in a great position. We’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
Horford will remain a major factor for the Hawks and focus of the Celtics in the series. The Celtics were successful in the second half of Game 1 by going to a small lineup. They will likely have to continue the strategy now that shooting guard Avery Bradley is out for the series with a hamstring injury.
“(With) the smaller guys out there, we tend to stick with our guys, whether it’s Boston or whoever we are playing,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Al and Paul (Millsap) are unique in that defensively they can keep up and guard smaller groups. Then if there are opportunities to play inside or play through the post or work the offensive boards, those guys are perfectly capable of doing that. But really, they are good against smalls or bigs and we play through them in the post. There may be more opportunities for them.”
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