Al Horford didn’t stay on the pitch to bask in the moment after sealing the game in Saturday night’s Celtics win.
Toronto had a chance to equalize or win their matchup with Boston when they brought in the ball, 3.8 seconds back, from two seconds at Scotiabank Arena. After Raptors forward Pascal Siakam haphazardly crossed halfway across the court, his bag was stolen by Horford, who stole the basketball just as the final buzzer sounded. But instead of celebrating with his Celtics teammates on the bench across the court, Horford played ran down the tunnel and left the ground.
What was the purpose of leaving the hardwood so quickly? Forward as a veteran revealed on Twitter Shortly after Boston’s ninth straight win, he was dying to pump after the game.
“To get a ride!” Horford replied to a Twitter user when asked where he was going as he started running from the seat.
Horford’s clutch stealing was huge for the under-manned Celtics, who played without Jayson Tatum on Saturday and received just 31 minutes from Robert Williams III and Marcus Smart.
Boston will look to extend its winning streak to 10 games Monday night when it visits the Orlando Magic, who defeated the Celtics in back-to-back games at TD Garden last month. The notice from the Amway Center is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo by Nick Turchiaro/USA TODAY Sports Images