The Boston Celtics will look to strengthen for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night. Today we will discuss about Al Horford: How long will be out| Vaccination status| Why is out
Al Horford: How long will be out| Vaccination status| Why is out
Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso (born June 3, 1986) is a Dominican professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed “Big Al”, Horford is a five-time NBA All-Star and the highest-paid Latin American basketball player.
| No. 42 – Boston Celtics | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 3, 1986 Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Grand Ledge (Grand Ledge, Michigan) |
| College | Florida (2004–2007) |
| NBA draft | 2007 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall |
| Selected by the Atlanta Hawks | |
| Playing career | 2007–present |
How long will be out
Celtics center Al Horford is set to reach his Eastern Conference final on Thursday after being sidelined for Game 1 against the Heat due to health and safety protocols.
Boston announced that Horford has been cleared to play, nearly two hours after the 35-year-old was listed as a suspect. Seasoned big man and defensive player of the year Marcus Smart (ft) was unavailable for the club’s 118-107 loss in Miami on Tuesday; Smart is currently listed as Potential.
Horford’s presence has been crucial to the Celtics throughout the playoffs, with the former All-Star making the move with several big plays at both ends of the floor. He will be expected to step back in that role against Bam Adebayo and the physical heat defense.
Vaccination status
Players who are not fully vaccinated due to Canada’s vaccine mandate are not able to play in games in Toronto.
Forward/centre Al Horford has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, he told The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach on Friday. Horford missed the Celtics’ previous game in Toronto on March 28 for personal reasons. Since January 15, players who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have not been able to play games in Toronto because of Canada’s mandate. Therefore, Horford’s absence from that March loss has led some to question whether he had been fully vaccinated.
When Horford returned to the Celtics’ lineup two days later, he said he was “ready to play anywhere” but did not disclose his vaccination status.
“It’s something I don’t want to discuss,” Horford told Himmelsbach. “I think with the Celtics, we’ve made it very clear that we’re not going to discuss those things, and it’s a health matter, and we respect everyone’s individual point of view. So I’m not going to go into that.” I have been and not talking about it. But I am ready to go.”
Why is out
MIAMI – The Celtics found that Al Horford would be unavailable for Game 1 a few hours before tipoff, according to Boston coach Ime Udoka. Horford is officially out due to health and safety protocols and will miss Tuesday’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat. Marcus Smart is also ruled out with a leg sprain, which he suffered in Game 7 in a win over the Bucks.
It is not yet clear whether Horford will miss Game 2 against the Heat, which is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Thursday at FTX Arena. But the Celtics haven’t officially kicked him out yet.
“There are various protocols and tests that have to be passed, and we’ll know going forward,” Udoka told Pregame. “But it is not certain that he is out for two matches.
Udoka said he did not comment on Horford’s condition as to whether or not he had tested positive for COVID-19, but added that “he is feeling fine.” Horford will undergo further trials that will determine when the big man can potentially return to court.
Derrick White and Grant Williams will be in the starting lineup for Smart and Horford respectively. It also means that Robert Williams III is back as a starter as he returns from a four-game absence due to knee pain. Rob Williams was available and ready to play in Game 7, but Udoka chose not to throw him into action.
But the Celtics will need to rely more on Rob Williams on Tuesday as the Heat take the likes of Bam Adebayo and other physical players. Without Horford, the Celtics would have Grant Williams, Rob Williams and Daniel Theis as their big man rotation. But Udoka said he can dive deeper into his bench to get a few more rotation minutes from guys like Aaron Nesmith.
