Celtics’ Al Horford praised boos from Sixers to fuel him to big night

PHILADELPHIA–Whenever a player visits his former home, there is always some extra motivation and extra emotion.

While Boston Celtics big man Al Horford only played one season with the Philadelphia 76ers, it was tumultuous, and he wanted to ensure he had a big night at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.

Horford had 15 points on Saturday, all in the second half, and he drilled five triples to help the Celtics knock off the Sixers 110-107. He missed his first four shots on the night before drilling his final five triples on the night as Boston erased a 15-point deficit in the third quarter.

“Just taking advantage of the opportunities,” Horford said afterward. “That first one, I felt like really got me going in transition. I sprinted, Jayson (Tatum) hit me with the pass, and I just let it fly. From then on, I just got it going.”

After that first triple, the boos from the Sixers fans came raining down. They let their displeasure be known and Horford allowed that to fuel him a bit.

“I like it,” he smiled. “I take it as respect and I wasn’t having my best game offensively. I feel like that got me going.”

This was an impressive win for the Celtics. It’s tough to go into Philadelphia and beat the Sixers who are always terrific at home. Horford was a key factor in helping Boston get the job done before Tatum came up large late in the win.

“It’s just fun,” said Horford. “It’s a fun environment and they’re a really good team. These are the type of games you want to be a part of.”