The Phoenix Suns are fighting for their lives to end the regular season, as they look to make the playoffs via the play-in tournament, and on Wednesday night, they will be running into one of the toughest matchups in the NBA in the reigning champion Boston Celtics. The Celtics may not be the dominant regular season team that they were last year, but they still have perhaps the best top six in the league — with Al Horford remaining an invaluable member of the roster despite getting up there in age.
If there's anyone who knows just how impactful Horford can be, it's Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer, who coached Horford for three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks from 2013 to 2016. And prior to the Suns and Celtics' clash, Budenholzer expressed his appreciation for the veteran big man, outlining just how important coaching him back in Atlanta is to his career.
“One of my favorite people, players of all time. Like, literally, probably wouldn't be sitting here without Al Horford,” Budenholzer said, via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. “For him to win a championship and to experience that was very, very special for him. He's one of just the great teammates, great humans I've ever been around.”
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Horford has been a major culture-setter wherever he goes, and he managed to stave off what looked like a precipitous decline by finding his second wind when the Celtics traded back for him in 2021.
For the Hawks, no one would forget soon the 60-win 2014-15 season that they had where they went undefeated for a whole calendar month. Horford played an instrumental role in that memorable starting five of him, Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, and DeMarre Carroll — with the first four even earning All-Star nods.
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Suns look to stay in the play-in tournament picture
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) celebrates after a play during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Footprint Center.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The 2024-25 season has been a difficult one for the Suns. They may have gotten off to a strong start buoyed by some incredible performances in the clutch, but they fell off towards the middle of the season and all they can do now is salvage the campaign by trying to make it to the playoffs via the play-in.
The Suns, however, have the most difficult remaining schedule, so they will have to lock in moving forward. And in the NBA, there is no such thing as friendship among competition, and the Suns will want to beat the Celtics to further their goals.
“I hope we kill him tonight,” Budenholzer said with a smile.