Boston Celtics center Al Horford helped lead his team to a 103-85 win against the Miami Heat on Monday night, posting a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double. Horford added a pair of blocks in the road victory, while shooting 6-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-8 on three-pointers.
His performance was historic, as the overall stat line had only been accomplished twice by players 38 years or older, both times courtesy of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
As noted by Celtics senior writer and insider Taylor Snow, however, Horford’s effort surpassed King James’.
“Last night, Al Horford became the 2nd player in NBA history at age 38+ to log at least 15 points, 10 rebounds, 4 threes, and 2 blocks in a game. The other is LeBron James (2X),” Snow wrote on social media. “Both of those LeBron games went to OT. So Horford is the oldest to record that stat line in regulation.”
James Accomplished The Feat in December in a Losing Effort
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer first accomplished the feat at 38 years, 306 days old when he led the Lakers to a 130-125 overtime defeat of the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 1, 2023.
James finished the contest with a team-high 35 points, game-high 12 rebounds and seven assists and two blocks on 13-for-19 shooting (4-for-8 from downtown).
LBJ most recently achieved the notable line on Dec. 6 against the Atlanta Hawks.
James (at 39 years, 342 days old) recorded a game-best 39 points, team-high 11 assists and tied big man Anthony Davis for a team-high 10 boards. He finished 14-for-25 from the field, including 6-for-11 on three-pointers.
Monday Was One of Horford’s Best Games of The Season
Horford’s numbers in his 18th season have dropped from Boston’s championship-winning 2023-24 campaign, but he proved again on Monday that he’s still plenty capable at 38 years, 253 days old.
The five-time All-Star’s 10 rebounds vs. Miami tied his season high, as he reached double-digit boards for just the third time all year. Monday was also only the third game all season where Horford played at least 30 minutes (33 minutes, 21 seconds) and committed no fouls or turnovers.
The former third overall pick’s performance against the Heat represented his third-best game score of the campaign (15.5) and just the fifth time all year he’s scored more than 15 points.
Even as he approaches 39 years old, Horford remains a solid contributor for a championship-contending squad. He ranks fourth on the Celtics in both rebounds (5.4) and blocks per contest (0.9) across 42 games (28 starts).
There are few, if any, areas where Horford can say he holds an edge against LeBron James, but after Monday night’s effort, the Florida product now has at least one to his credit.
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