Morning Sports Update
“I know that look,” Anna Horford said of her brother. “He was angry”.
Al Horford stares at Giannis Antetokounmpo after the latter’s dunk in the third quarter in Game 4 of the Celtics-Bucks. Jim Davis/Globe Staff
The Celtics rallied from a third-quarter deficit to upset the Bucks and win Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals in Milwaukee, 116-108. The series is now tied 2-2, returning to Boston for Game 5 on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Bruins are in Carolina tonight for Game 5 of their first-round series against the Hurricanes at 7 pm The matchup is currently tied at two games apiece.
And the Red Sox are in Atlanta tonight for the start of a two-game series. First pitch starts at 7:20 p.m.
Al Horford’s Motivation: When things looked bleak for the Celtics in Game 4 on Monday, it was Al Horford who stepped up for Boston.
The 35-year-old scored 16 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Celtics’ comeback.
Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when a game changes, causing a drastic change in the outcome. But for Horford and the Celtics, there was a specific moment in the third quarter when Horford found additional motivation.
With just under 11 minutes remaining in the fourth, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo outplayed Horford and emphatically sank as the Milwaukee crowd erupted.
Afterward, Antetokounmpo looked at Horford and had words for him. Later, after the game, and after Horford and Boston’s epic fourth quarter, the Celtics veteran explained what that meant to him.
“I don’t really know what he said to me, but the way he was looking at me and the way he was doing it really didn’t sit well with me,” Horford said of Antetokounmpo.
“And I think in that moment, something changed with me in the game.”
Though it didn’t happen right away (as Milwaukee continued to lead for the rest of the third quarter), Horford’s intent was set. He got Boston back in the game, either tying the score or giving the Celtics the lead on three separate occasions in the fourth quarter.
The most memorable of those sequences came when Horford reversed the previous circumstances by diving into Antetokounmpo.
It was another game-altering play, as Marcus Smart pointed out later.
“The energy changed once it happened,” Smart said of Horford’s emotional outburst.
In hindsight, giving Horford extra motivation backfired on Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Horford became the oldest player in Celtics history to score at least 30 points in a playoff game as Boston earned a crucial road win to tie the series.
Horford’s sister, Anna, correctly identified the change in her brother’s behavior.
“This is where the Bucks [f*****] up,” she tweeted, citing video of Antetokounmpo’s earlier dunk on his brother. “I know that look. He was angry.
Trivia: Al Horford helped Florida win back-to-back NCAA titles when he was in college. Which school was the most recent to win back-to-back NCAA men’s basketball championships before Florida’s 2005-2006 streak?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: The losing coaches in those national championships were Roy Williams and Steve Fisher.
More from Boston.com:
Tom Brady’s post-player future in football: Exactly when Brady enters the booth remains to be seen.
Marcos Smart’s tribute to Al Horford:
Angels’ attempt to give Anthony Rendon a Gatorade bath backfired, hilariously:
In this day: In 1999, Nomar Garciaparra smashed three home runs, including two grand slams, in a 10-RBI night. Buoyed by the night of Garciaparra’s career, the Red Sox defeated the Mariners, 12-4.
Daily Featured: Jayson Tatum hit a seemingly impossible shot in the Celtics’ Game 4 win.
Trivia Answer: 1991-1992 Duke
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