An Early Birthday Present for Al Horford

Horford, who turns 36 years old on Friday, delivered one big shot after another in leading the Celtics to a come-from-behind 120-108 Game 1 victory over Golden State.

SAN FRANCISCO – We have seen more than our share of veteran NBA players at the tail-end of their careers try and latch on with a title contender.

Most of the time, those players are simply going along for the ride.

And then there’s Boston Celtics center Al Horford who has been part of Boston’s drive towards what has been an unexpected run towards Banner 18.

The Celtics, fueled by Horford’s strong second-half performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, moved one step closer with a rousing come-from-behind victory, 120-108, to take a 1-0 series lead.

Horford had 26 points, 11 of which came in the decisive fourth quarter.

And when he wasn’t scoring, he was contributing in other ways.

Horford, who turns 36 years old on Friday, also made an impact on the boards as well as in his play-making for others.

Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from Boston’s Game 1 loss to Golden State.

STARS

Al Horford: Once again, the Celtics were getting bailed out by Al Horford. With the Celtics within striking distance most of the game, it was Horford who led the 3-point barrage for Boston in the fourth quarter. He would finish with 26 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter.

Stephen Curry: The start of the game could not have gone much better for Curry, who had 21 first-quarter points on 7-for-9 shooting from the field. Boston’s defense on Curry improved, but there was no getting around the immense impact he had on the game. Curry would finish the night with 34 points to go with five assists and five rebounds.

STUDS

Derrick White: The play of Derrick White was once again a major factor in Boston's victory. He finished with 21 points which include five 3-pointers.

Andrew Wiggins: The play of Andrew Wiggins defensively on Jayson Tatum was huge. But he also made an impact scoring the ball as he finished with 20 points to go with five rebounds.

Jaylen Brown: With Jayson Tatum struggling to score, it was on Jaylen Brown to provide a lift offensively. He would finish the game with 24 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists.

Jayson Tatum: He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but his playmaking without making mistakes was impressive in the first half (seven assists, zero turnovers). He still struggled with his shot in the second half before finishing with a double-double of 12 points on 3-for-17 shooting, along with 13 assists.

DUDS

Jordan Poole: One of the top reserves this season, Jordan Poole never got into the kind of scoring groove we’ve seen from him this season. He would finish Game 1 with nine points on 2-for-7 shooting from the field.

Grant Williams: One of the Celtics’ most reliable reserves this season, Grant Williams provided very little at either end of the floor. He would go scoreless while missing both of his shot attempts from the field.