All-star center Al Horford returned to the Boston Celtics roster and finally, the team went full strength for the first time this 2016-2017 NBA season. The Celtics displayed what they are capable of achieving with a complete lineup.
Al Horford and Jae Crowder missed a lot of time due to injuries, but have now returned to action and helped the team beat the Detroit Pistons in a close 94-92 victory. This is Pistons' only loss at home this young season, as per Nba.com.
Horford, who signed with the Celtics last summer, missed the last 9 games due to a concussion. He played an all-around game and stuffing the stat sheet with 18 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, three blocks with two steals. He scored the game-winning basket with 1.3 seconds remaining in the contest then displayed a remarkable defensive effort by blocking Aron Baynes of the Pistons in the dying seconds to seal the win.
Also returning to the Boston Celtics roster was Crowder, who missed a significant number of games with a sprained ankle. He also contributed the much-needed energy for the Celtics to win the game. Crowder tallied nine points to go along with four rebounds. The Celtics welcomed back their two key players and are looking forward to fully compete at the highest level.
After the game against the Pistons, all-star guard Isaiah Thomas stated that they badly needed Horford and Crowder back in their lineup for them to be able to challenge the elite contenders in the NBA. Thomas added Horford provides an advantage for the Celtics and creates a huge difference with him on the court by taking some of the pressure off of Isaiah Thomas in terms of defending, scoring and even playmaking. Thomas said Horford creates a lot of opportunities for his teammates and can do a lot of things even when he is not scoring.
In his post-game interview, Horford said that he felt good for winning the game after missing a lot of games this season. He was happy for being able to play and help his team win against the gritty Pistons team, via Boston Herald.
