Al Horford Reflects on Celtics' Core's Success While Looking Towards What's Eluded Them

After Wednesday's closeout Game 5 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Boston Celtics are headed to their sixth Eastern Conference Finals in eight seasons.

“It's special. It's something that - it's hard to do," said Al Horford. "It's very difficult to do. And it means a lot to me. I'm very proud of just the work that our guys continue to put in. "

It's a remarkable feat for the team to have accomplished, but more remarkable how they've gotten there this time. Since 2017, Boston hasn't been able to make it this far without having to play a seven-game series. This time, they've taken care of both opponents in just five games.

Horford credited Boston's two homegrown stars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for leading the way all season. Their work ethic, sacrifice, and overall maturity are things that he believes have helped the team get where they are now.

"JT, JB, how they've continued to get better," he added. "How no matter what gets thrown at them, things that people want to talk about, criticize, our guys continue to work, and they continue to make, what's best for our group."

The 38-year-old veteran has an impressive resume himself. In his six seasons with the Cs, he's now been to five Eastern Conference Finals. He surely has an understanding of how to win, and what it takes to be towards the top of the league.

Oddly enough, Horford played against the last title-winning Celtics team in 2008. It was a team that came together in a similar way to this one, with offseason moves bringing in new faces to play with homegrown talent.

The 2024 Celtics have been able to accomplish a lot by holding the value of sacrifice at such a high regard. They'll continue to work towards winning the franchise's first championship in 16 years, by doing just that.

"This year, that's been very obvious," Horford continued. "Guys are trying to play the right way. They're sacrificing for the team. That's been a theme for us all year. I'm just very proud of where we're at right now at this point, understanding that there's a lot of work to do ahead for our group. But, yeah, this is there's another positive step to where we want to get to.”

Horford himself made a tremendous sacrifice at the beginning of the season, when he accepted a new role as the team's sixth man. It was the first time in his long NBA career that he would start games watching from the sideline. He'd only had short stints as a bench guy during his infamous stretch with the Philadelphia 76ers.

As for Tatum and Brown, both stars have had to adjust their playstyle a bit. Game 5 was a great example of them finding ways to impact winning in ways besides scoring.

Tatum finished with 25 points, but also filled the statsheet in other ways. He narrowly missed a triple-double, as he logged 10 rebounds, nine assists, and a quartet of steals.

Brown dialed back his aggresiveness in the closeout spot, taking just nine shots against the Cavs. The impressive part of his performance came with his decision making on drives. The former No. 3 overall pick is known for going strong to the rim, but he mixed in a fair amount of kick-outs in this one. As a result, he piled up seven assists in the big win.

The ability for both stars to get other players involved is going to be key as the rounds go on. Boston's team is far too talented for those guys to do it all alone. Their unselfishness and trust allowed for Horford to steal the show with a 22-point performance, after two of his roughest games of the postseason.

The Celtics will be waiting until at least Sunday to take the floor again, as they await their Eastern Conference Finals opponent.