Tears! The 38-year-old Celtics champion center rises 15+9: Locking 224 million ace is really good

15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks, 6 of 9 shots, 3 of 4 three-pointers, and 0 mistakes in the game. 38-year-old veteran Horford started and delivered a beautiful answer. When Porzingis was infected with the virus and was in poor health, he once again reached the starting position and supported the team's inside line.

Just like in the playoffs last year, when Poor was injured and absent, Horford helped the Celtics through the difficulties. In this game, Horford's performance in the inside is very critical.

If the Celtics' main players are healthy and at their best, there is no suspense in this round of series. However, Porzingis had a big physical problem. He was infected with a certain virus in March and is still in the midst of sequelae. According to the famous reporter Charania, Porzingis had to rely on a lot of sleep, received intravenous treatment, and used immune enhancers in the past few months, and it is still not possible to fully determine which virus is.

Porzingis averaged only 12.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the first round, shooting percentage of 35.2% and three-point shooting percentage of 11.8%. In the Eastern Conference semi-finals, Posses' condition was even worse. In the first game, he made 0 of 4 shots and failed to score a single point. He scored 8 points and 4 rebounds in the second game.

In the third game, the substitute, Boss played for only 19 minutes, made 0 of 3 shots, scored 5 points with free throws, and contributed 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks, making 5 fouls.

Porzingis also admitted that he was in poor condition and felt very uncomfortable: "I am experiencing something, and I am not in the best condition at all. The most painful thing is that this happens at this moment. But I am grateful for the support within the team, and perhaps the support of the fans. This is a really difficult time for me and I cannot fight side by side with my teammates. Although it is not caused by injuries, the sluggish state is really painful. To be honest, who cares? No one will sympathize with us or sympathize with me, and the game must continue."

Fortunately, the Celtics also have the old center Horford with good quality and low price. He made a three-pointer shortly after the first quarter, and he threw another three-pointer in the second quarter.

Three-pointers have become an important offensive weapon for Horford and are one of the reasons why he successfully transformed and extended his athletic career. Horford didn't have three-point firepower when he first entered the NBA. In the first five seasons of his career, he made 3 of 12 three-pointers, and in three seasons he didn't even score a three-pointer. Horford was the traditional center at that time.

However, the NBA has set off a small ball storm, with three-pointers becoming more and more popular, and Horford has gradually developed his own three-point firepower. He actually increased his career three-point shooting percentage to 37.7%. His three-point shooting percentage was 44.6% in the 2022-23 season and his three-point shooting percentage was 41.9% in the 2023-24 season.

This season, Horford's three-point shooting percentage fell to 36.3%, and averaged 1.9 three-pointers per game. Horford transformed from an all-star traditional center to a 3D center. He is still very defensive and can also defend the opponent's defender. In this game, although Horford's match against Towns scored 20 points and 15 rebounds, he made 5 of 18 shots and 1 of 5 three-pointers, with a plus-negative value of -19. Towns has a 4-year, $224 million deal.

In this game, Horford once again interpreted the value of the champion center, and performed well both offense and defense. Horford has an annual salary of $9.5 million this season, and his contract will expire after the end of this season. Obviously, no matter what the end of the Celtics this season, the team will strive to renew another contract with Horford.

Porzingis is too susceptible to injury and has low attendance rate. In many cases, the Celtics needed Horford to come. Just like this series, Porzingis is not in good health and is not as reliable as Horford. Porzingis renewed his contract with the Celtics for two years and $60 million in 2023, but his contribution is a bit low.