Horford enjoys something new this time: team play
LOS ANGELES — Though he’s played in enough of these, five to be exact, Al Horford has been a little out of his element as an All-Star.
That’s what happens to players who like to pass as much, or more, than score. But in the process of playing down the stretch for Team Stephen in a 148-145 loss to Team LeBron in last night’s All-Star Game, Horford got a sense of actual team play.
“I definitely got a vibe from that. Kyle Lowry was looking for me, guys were looking for each other and it was good to see,” said Horford, who had six points and five rebounds in 13 minutes. “Good basketball. Obviously one-on-one plays, but this was more of a game than I’ve seen in the past, and that was good to see. They weren’t going to let it be a dunkfest. Even last year and the year before there was a lot of heat on how bad the game was. The game was good.
“We really wanted to win this one at the end, but it was good to spend some time with these guys who I’ve never got a chance to play with, because they play in the West. It was good to share a locker room with them to see how they go about everything. It’s the first time the NBA has done this, and I think it was positive.
Allen’s number not up
Ray Allen was one of 13 finalists named for Hall of Fame consideration this weekend, and whether the former Celtic’s critics care to admit it or not, he played a major role in the team’s last championship in 2007-08.
Is it time for Allen and the franchise he claims to still love to mend fences?
“I hope so,” C’s president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. “But you can’t predict relationships people will have with one another. But I have all of the respect in the world for Ray. We don’t have that last championship banner without him.”
The latest push in Celtics Nation is for Kevin Garnett’s No. 5 to follow Paul Pierce’s 34 up to the rafters. At the same time it’s virtually unheard of for Allen’s 20 to be added to the conversation.
“I don’t have an answer to that,” Ainge said.
To host or not to host
The Celtics declined to comment on a Yahoo! report that the NBA would be interested in holding the 2022 All-Star Game in Boston. According to a league source, in order to host, the city has to want the event, as much as the league would like to bring it to the C’s home for the first time since 1964.
“It’s more issues of logistics, security and neighborhood concerns that often cause issues with events in Boston,” the source said. “The All-Star Game is now a three-day event and has to have broad support in the community. For the NBA to choose the city, the city has to be positive in support.”