Boston Celtics: 3 takeaways from Game 1 vs. 76ers

2. Horford is worth every penny

A look at the box score will tell you that Joel Embiid outplayed Al Horford in their individual frontcourt matchup, but that’s why we watch the games. Even though the Process put up a more impressive 31-13-5 stat line, much like the first round against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Horford’s two-way contributions made him the real winner of this big man clash.

His 26 points, seven boards and four dimes don’t leap off the stat sheet, but he was deadly efficient in capitalizing on the looks Embiid gave him. Multiple times Philly’s star simply gave up on the play trying to figure out who to guard, leaving Horford wide open from the baseline or from 3-point range.

Horford finished a red-hot 10-for-12 from the field, knocking down two of his three 3-pointers, but timely buckets weren’t all that he contributed to the cause. Even though he finished with zero blocks and zero steals, and even though Embiid posted a new playoff career-high, the Celtics’ defense clamped down when it needed to.

Embiid looked frustrated in the waning stages of the game, and Horford’s nagging defense all night long — not to mention the more physical presence of Aron Baynes — was a big reason why.

Of course, this shouldn’t have been a surprise based on the defensive exhibits he submitted during the regular season:

Over his last two games, Horford is 23-for-29 from the field (79.3 percent). With no Tristan Thompson kryptonite in sight (yet), this might be the best postseason run we’ve seen yet from the 31-year-old big man.

When Horford originally earned his four-year, $113.3 million contract with the C’s, it was seen as a sizable overpay for a center over the age of 30 whose decline was inevitable. The thing is, after watching him outplay Giannis for the better part of a seven-game series, and then Embiid for the majority of Game 1, the Celtics big man looks like he was worth every penny.