Former Sixers Center Catches Fire in Game 1 of 2022 NBA Finals
Just a couple of offseasons ago, the Philadelphia 76ers made several critical personnel moves, which caused quite a stir in the city of Brotherly Love.
After participating in a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat to send Jimmy Butler to South Beach, the Sixers made three significant signings. They used a max contract slot on Tobias Harris, who became an unrestricted free agent that summer.
The Sixers also offered Ben Simmons a max extension. In addition to re-signing Simmons and Harris, Philly brought in Al Horford, who wrapped up his third season with the Boston Celtics. At the time, the move made sense, considering the Sixers could use a valuable backup center at times for Embiid when the All-Star big man was battling setbacks.
However, fitting Embiid and Horford together in the same starting lineup was a challenge for the 76ers. Horford had a down first year with the Sixers. In 67 games, he averaged 11 points in 30 minutes. Eventually, the Sixers turned the $100 million-plus prospect into a reserve until injuries left the team with no choice but to start him again in the playoffs.
Horford’s first season in Philadelphia turned out to be his last. When the Sixers changed over their front office and added Daryl Morey to become the President of Basketball Operations, moving Horford was one of Morey's first notable moves.
The veteran big packed his bags and joined the Oklahoma City Thunder. After spending 28 games on the court for the Thunder, Horford was shut down for the remainder of the season. Last offseason, the Thunder moved Horford once again so he could make his return to Boston for a second stint.
The move was met with tons of criticism aimed towards the Celtics as one season in Philadelphia and OKC left many to believe Horford’s best days were well behind him. However, the 36-year-old center is proving his naysayers wrong as he dominated in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.
A Dominant Showing
Golden State’s Steph Curry was the star of the show in the first quarter of Thursday’s matchup. In the first 12 minutes of action, Curry went 6-8 from three, scoring 21 points.
Although Curry caught fire, Boston kept the matchup close early on. By halftime, the Celtics possessed a two-point lead going into the intermission.
Horford was quiet for the first 17 minutes of the game as he scored just eight points off of five shots. But the veteran would turn the tide in the second half.
In his first nine minutes on the floor coming out of the half, Horford dropped seven points, going 2-3 from beyond the arc. He entered the fourth quarter with 15 total points. And when crunch time came around, Horford was perfect from the field as he knocked down all four of his shots in just six minutes of action.
An 11-point showing in the final minutes allowed Horford and the Celtics to collect a Game 1 victory on the road over the Western Conference Finals champions. The former Sixers’ big man dominated by scoring 26 points off of just 12 shots in 32 minutes.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
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