The Boston Celtics now have a 3-1 series lead over the Orlando Magic, a feat that cannot be attributed to just one player.
Although multiple Boston stars should be celebrated, Al Horford needs to be praised because of his defensive prowess.
Chris Forsberg dug into the numbers and showcased just how impressive Horford has been against the Magic.
While playing against Horford in Game 4, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have been held to seven points, going 3-of-15 from the field, while receiving three blocks.
Meanwhile, the Magic in Game 4 were limited to 11 points, going 5-of-19 from the field with five blocks against Horford.
For the series, the Magic have gone just 21-of-64 from the field against Boston, with a 32.8 percent defensive field goal rating.
Horford currently holds the fourth-best defensive field goal percentage in the playoffs amongst 115 players.
Al Horford as primary defender vs Franz/Paolo in Game 4, per NBA tracking:
7 PTS, 3-15 FG, 3 BLK
Magic overall vs Al, Gm4:
11 PTS, 5-19 FG, 5 BLK
Magics vs Al, full series:
21-64 FG, 32.8 DefFG% (12% below expected FG%)
4th best DFG% in playoffs among 115 players > 20 DFGA
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) April 28, 2025
Those are a lot of numbers, but they are summed up succinctly with this: Horford is one of the most dominant defenders in the playoffs.
So far in these playoffs, he has averaged 6.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game.
Last year, when the Celtics won a title, Horford averaged 9.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks.
Of course, Horford isn’t the only strong defensive player in Boston, and the entire team has worked together to create a unified and reliable defense.
But Horford really brings it all together because of his years of experience.
He is now 38 years old and has been in the league for 17 seasons.
The Magic are a young, up-and-coming team, but they are learning that Horford is considered one of the most intimidating masters of the NBA for a reason.
He might be a great deal older than his Orlando competition, but Horford is consistently finding ways to shut them down.
NEXT: Joe Mazzulla Praises Magic After Well-Fought Performance On Sunday
