Al Horford had a big game as he made his debut in the NBA Finals at the age of 35. The veteran center made 6/8 three-pointers on his way to team-high 26 points. He helped the Celtics make a run in the fourth quarter (40-16) to secure the win in Game 1.

After the game his teammate Jaylen Brown, who had 24 points in the series opener, was asked about the performance that Horford displayed.

“Phenomenal,” Brown said. “That’s what we need, that’s what we want. We want that veteran leadership to carry us over. Al had a bunch of great looks. We encouraged him to keep taking them. He came out in his first Finals game and he played amazing. He carried us and led us to a victory.

“We got to get ready for next game. We win as a team. I know the media likes to push the narrative between certain player, but it’s a team game. The best team is gonna win, not the best individual players. We just got to keep playing as a team and then we’ll be okay.