High-level showing
Irving leads club sans Horford
NEW YORK — It may have been a bit unattractive at the end, but the Celtics managed to finish off a backto-back without Al Horford here last night. They threw the right punches at the end to complete a week that saw them defeat quality opponents in the Cavaliers and Timberwolves.
Asked by a local writer how the Celts could go after this one so hard when a lot of teams would slide under these circumstances, Kyrie Irving had a direct answer.
“We don’t want to be most teams,” he said after holding on for an 87-85 win over the Nets. “We want to separate ourselves from the rest of the group, and the best way to do that is to have consistency.
“When you play the high level teams all around the league, regardless of record, they’re going to give you their best shot. And the position that we’re in, we’ve worked our tails off to be here record-wise and to get everyone’s best shot. When you demand that respect, then you have to give it back and you have to show why you want to be one of the best teams in the league.”
Knee just not right
It wasn’t quite a gametime decision, but Horford went through a full pregame workout before deciding his left knee issue wouldn’t allow him to go against the Nets.
Asked how it felt about an hour before tipoff, the Celtic big man said, “Not like I want it to, so I won’t play tonight.
“I just think it’s not feeling right and we’ll take it day to day. I hope to play the next game.”
That would be Thursday in London against the 76ers, which means Horford will get a head start on the lengthy break the Celts have before then.
“Not what I was looking for,” he said. “I was hoping
to play tonight, but, yeah, I’ll get an extra day.”
Horford suffered the injury in Friday’s win over Minnesota. He went back to the trainer’s room and emerged with a sleeve/brace on the knee and completed his way to 7 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists in 31 minutes.
“Honest, I don’t even remember the play, but it was early in the second quarter, and we worked around it,” he said. “I felt good enough to go back in the game and finish the game, and we’ve been treating it all last night and today.
“It felt good up to the point I got on the court. Some movements seemed fine, but there were some things that did limit me.”
In praise of Al
Prior to learning that Horford wouldn’t go, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson offered him heavy praise.
The two were once united in Atlanta, where Atkinson served as an assistant coach. Given that perspective, he was asked if Horford is different this year now that he’s playing alongside Irving.
“He’s better than ever,” said Atkinson. “That’s just how I see it.
“You know, it’s more than a coincidence that we were No.1 defensively in Atlanta that year we won 60 games, No. 1 or No. 2, and he was a big reason why. I don’t think he gets enough credit for his quarterbacking a defense.
“To have a big like that who’s so mobile, so agile, so intelligent, it’s huge. They obviously have other really good defensive players, but I think he’s the quarterback.
“Then offensively Brad (Stevens has) done a fantastic job letting him quarterback on offense, too,” he said of Celtics’ coach. “Obviously Kyrie has the ball in his hands a lot, but it’s those two playing DHO (dribble hand-off) action, pick-and-roll. Al’s out there a lot handling it.”
Then Atkinson delivered a fairly bold statement.
“I was thinking about it today,” he said. “You think of the top power forwards in the league, he’s got to be 1, 2, 3. Draymond Green, him, Giannis (Antetokounmpo) — to me, they’re in the same bucket.
“And I’m not saying that because I know him. I really believe that. He’s a gamechanger.”
Watching an old pal
Isaiah Thomas was scheduled to play his second game for Cleveland last night after returning from a hip injury suffered with the Celtics last season, and his former mates are keeping tabs.
“It felt so good to see him (Wednesday), man,” said Marcus Smart. “I watched the game the night before (Thomas’ season debut), and it felt good to see him out there.
“We miss him here. We definitely do. We wish nothing but the best for Isaiah, and we know he’s going to come back and wreck the league.”
‘I just think it’s not feeling right and we’ll take it day to day. I hope to play the next game . . . . Honest, I don’t even remember the play.’ — AL HORFORD, on the injured knee that kept him out last night in Brooklyn