The Sixers released the following statement Wednesday on their star center, who was ruled out for the season on Feb. 28 because of persistent left knee problems:
“Following consultations with medical experts, it has been determined that Joel Embiid will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week to address his left knee. Further updates will be provided following the procedure.”
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Embiid “will be re-evaluated in six weeks and is expected to make a full recovery.”
Embiid had been considering treatment options. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse recently said that the team’s vice president of athlete care, Simon Rice, was also a key part of those conversations with doctors.
Embiid publicly indicated multiple times this season that non-surgical approaches were not working and his knee continued to bother him. He ultimately played in just 19 games for the injury-riddled Sixers, who have fallen far out of playoff contention.
“I wish I could play every game,” Embiid said on Feb. 4. “My goal is to be available and play every game. Whatever God decides, from that point on, I can’t control it. I can only control what I can do every single day, what I should focus on, what keeps me on the floor. And whatever happens, happens.
“I don’t really worry about how many games I’m going to play, how much I’m going to be available. The goal is to be available every single night and if God wants it to happen, good. If he doesn’t, back to the drawing board.”
The Sixers went 8-11 in his appearances and Embiid averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists. For the most part, he did not come close to reaching the MVP contender level he’d grown accustomed to over the prior four seasons.
“The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now and it sucks,” Embiid said on Feb. 20. “But I believe I probably need to fix the problem and I’ll be back at that level. But it’s hard to have the trust when you’re not yourself.
“I’m not as dominant as I was a couple months ago, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t have a lot of impact on the game. … But my dominant self, I’ll get there. It’s just tough because you know you can do so much more. There’s no excuses; it’s just the way it is. Just got to keep finding ways to figure it out and get better.”
Last February, Embiid underwent surgery on his left lateral meniscus. He returned for the end of the regular season and the playoffs, then played in the Paris Olympics and earned a gold medal with Team USA.
He missed the beginning of the 2024-25 regular season. The Sixers started horrendously and never truly recovered. They’ve used an NBA-record 52 different starting lineups and are 23-53 overall.
Along with Embiid, Paul George (adductor and left knee injuries), Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery) and Eric Gordon (right wrist surgery) have been ruled out for the remainder of the year. Tyrese Maxey hasn’t played since March 3 because of a right finger sprain.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Anthony has been notified that he’s been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
Anthony, who played parts of seven seasons with the Knicks, was a 10-time All-Star who ended up playing 19 seasons in the NBA with six different teams. He finished his career 10th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 28,289 points.
Acquired by the Knicks during the 2010-11 season in a blockbuster trade with the Denver Nuggets, Anthony helped the Knicks get back to the playoffs that season for the first time since 2003-04.
The peak of Anthony’s time in New York was the 2012-13 season, when the Knicks won 54 regular season games and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time since 1999-2000.
In 412 regular season games as a Knick, Anthony averaged 24.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
The Utah Jazz (16-60) and Houston Rockets (49-27) are all set to square off from Toyota Center in Houston.
The Jazz will be without Lauri Markkanen for at least seven days. He’s been ruled out due to injury. The Rockets are coming off a loss on Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers. Before that loss, the Rockets had won three straight.
The Jazz are currently 7-30 on the road with a point differential of -9, while the Rockets have a 8-2 record in their last ten games at home.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Jazz vs. Rockets live today
Date: Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Time: 8:00PM EST
Site: Toyota Center
City: Houston, TX
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Jazz vs. Rockets
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
Odds: Jazz (+1058), Rockets (-2083)
Spread: Rockets -17.5
Over/Under: 225 points
That gives the Jazz an implied team point total of 111.74, and the Rockets 120.85.
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Expert picks & predictions for Wednesday's Jazz vs. Rockets game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
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Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas) is betting on Johnny Juzang over 8.5 points…
Thomas: “With the Jazz shorthanded and a spread of 16.5, Juzang could see extended minutes in this contest.”
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Jazz & Rockets game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Utah Jazz at +17.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 225.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar! Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Jazz vs. Rockets on Wednesday
The Jazz have lost 6 games in a row
The Under is 5-0 in the Jazz's last 5 road games
The Rockets are 40-36 against the spread this season
The Jazz's last 5 road games have stayed under the Total
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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One admirer was retried three-time NBA All-Star and former Golden State guard Gilbert Arenas. He spent his evening watching his son and USC commit Alijah play in the 2025 McDonald’s All-American Game at Barclays Center, but admitted his mind partially was elsewhere.
“I’m here at [2025 McDonald’s All-American Game] watching, everybody’s here, but (inaudible) all that,” Arenas said in a video shared to his X account. “Steph. Fifty-two. Fifty-two, eight and 10. Oh my God. Unreal. Ugh. I’m out here watching high school basketball; I know it’s the top 24, but they’re not Steph. They’re not out here being Steph – I mean, maybe combined. But 52 … congratulations, man.”
Aye Steph Curry, I stopped watching my son at McDonald's to tune in 🤷🏾♂️ Good shyt (50/10/8) 🔥 🗣️Lakers in 4 😂 pic.twitter.com/zCzUG7CTJj
For the All-American game’s West squad, Alijah finished with a formidable 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the field; but, sorry kid, you played on the same night as Curry.
In the Warriors’ 134-125 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum, the four-time NBA champion finished with 52 points – on 16-of-31 shooting from the field, 12 of 20 on 3-point shots and 8 of 8 on free throws – with 10 rebounds, eight assists, five steals and one block.
Arenas couldn’t help but monitor Curry’s night. He also begged Golden State’s No. 30 to throw on the Los Angeles Lakers’ purple and gold, in what would be a universe Dub Nation, among others, couldn’t fathom.
“Listen, come on to the Lake Show so I can put you [as the] all-time GOAT,” Arenas pleaded. “I’ll put you in front of [Michael] Jordan for sure. For sure. Just put that Lakers jersey on … please. But congratulations, sir. Amazing.”
Don’t fret, though; Arenas made sure his son was recognized and was up front and center in supporting him at the All-American game and on his social media accounts.
In the Warriors’ 134-125 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum, Curry scored 52 points – on 16-for-31 shooting from the field, 12-for-20 on 3-point shots and 8-for-8 on free throws – with 10 rebounds, eight assists, five steals and one block. He finished as a game-high plus-17 and entered halftime with 32 points, eight triples, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.
It was Curry’s second 50-point game of the 2024-25 NBA season, as he scored 56 on Feb. 3 in Golden State’s 121-115 win over the Orlando Magic, and the 16th of his 16-year career (including his victorious 50 points against the Sacramento Kings in Game 7 of the 2023 Western Conference opening playoff round).
Jokić, meanwhile, reached the 60s.
In the Nuggets’ 140-139 double-overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jokić posted 61 points – on 18-for-29 shooting from the field, 6-for-11 on triples and 19-for-24 from the charity stripe – with 10 rebounds, 10 assists and a pair of steals.
Jokić’s 61 points were the most any player scored in a game during the 2024-25 season and were the most scored in a triple-double in league history. It also was Jokić’s second 50-point game of the season, as he scored 56 on Dec. 7 in a 122-113 loss to the Washington Wizards, and the fourth of his 10-year career (including his unvictorious 53 points against the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 of the 2023 West semifinals).
Curry and Jokić, two future first-ballot Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers, have two of the most stacked résumés in NBA history.
Tuesday, though, will forever be remembered as the day the pair each had 50-plus points, 10-plus rebounds, eight-plus assists and five-plus triples. After all, It isn’t too often fans get to see two superstars have career games on the same night.
We're nearing the end of the regular season and a few NBA awards are heating up like Coach of the Year as Cleveland's Kenny Atkinson and Detroit's JB Bickerstaff. Let's take a look at the best bet between the two with less than a dozen games remaining.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Coach of the Year: JB Bickerstaff (+210)
Kenny Atkinson's main argument for the Coach of the Year award was boasting the NBA's best record when the Thunder or Celtics were expected to, but now that Oklahoma City owns the league's best record, what is Atkinson's argument? Best in the East? 60-plus wins? I am not sure that will be enough compared to Bickerstaff's argument.
The Pistons were expected to make the play-in by some experts, but the majority of the public expected Detroit to be out of the playoffs and tanking at this point. To Bickerstaff and his players' credit, Detroit is the No. 5 seed at 42-33 (2.0 games back from No. 4) and continues to win with its best player, Cade Cunningham sidelined over the last four games (3-1 record and beat the Cavs).
Since January 1st, the Pistons rank second in defensive efficiency behind the Thunder (Cavs are 14th), eighth in offensive rating (Cavs are second), the third-best defensive rebounding percentage (Cavs are 10th), top six in blocks and steals per game, third in opponent points in the paint, and are tied for the fifth-most wins (28-15 record). Granted, the Cavaliers are 31-11 since the new year, Detroit continues to impress and hang with the best of the best with grit and great defense.
Cleveland had a win total of 47.5 entering the season, ranking tied for the 10th-highest, while Detroit's was 22.5, tied for the second-lowest with Washington (16-59) and Portland (33-43), only ahead of Brooklyn (21.5, 25-51) The Pistons are going to double their expected win total this season, while the rest of those teams are planning trips to Cancun.
At +180 to +210, I think the value on Bickerstaff for COY was still disappearing, so I say get involved now.
Pick: JB Bickerstaff to win Coach of the Year (2u)
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The Sixers released the following statement Wednesday on their star center, who was ruled out for the season on Feb. 28 because of persistent left knee problems:
“Following consultations with medical experts, it has been determined that Joel Embiid will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week to address his left knee. Further updates will be provided following the procedure.”
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Embiid “will be re-evaluated in six weeks and is expected to make a full recovery.”
Embiid had been considering treatment options. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse recently said that the team’s vice president of athlete care, Simon Rice, was also a key part of those conversations with doctors.
Embiid publicly indicated multiple times this season that non-surgical approaches were not working and his knee continued to bother him. He ultimately played in just 19 games for the injury-riddled Sixers, who have fallen far out of playoff contention.
“I wish I could play every game,” Embiid said on Feb. 4. “My goal is to be available and play every game. Whatever God decides, from that point on, I can’t control it. I can only control what I can do every single day, what I should focus on, what keeps me on the floor. And whatever happens, happens.
“I don’t really worry about how many games I’m going to play, how much I’m going to be available. The goal is to be available every single night and if God wants it to happen, good. If he doesn’t, back to the drawing board.”
The Sixers went 8-11 in his appearances and Embiid averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists. For the most part, he did not come close to reaching the MVP contender level he’d grown accustomed to over the prior four seasons.
“The way I was playing a year ago is not the way I’m playing right now and it sucks,” Embiid said on Feb. 20. “But I believe I probably need to fix the problem and I’ll be back at that level. But it’s hard to have the trust when you’re not yourself.
“I’m not as dominant as I was a couple months ago, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t have a lot of impact on the game. … But my dominant self, I’ll get there. It’s just tough because you know you can do so much more. There’s no excuses; it’s just the way it is. Just got to keep finding ways to figure it out and get better.”
Last February, Embiid underwent surgery on his left lateral meniscus. He returned for the end of the regular season and the playoffs, then played in the Paris Olympics and earned a gold medal with Team USA.
He missed the beginning of the 2024-25 regular season. The Sixers started horrendously and never truly recovered. They’ve used an NBA-record 52 different starting lineups and are 23-53 overall.
Along with Embiid, Paul George (adductor and left knee injuries), Jared McCain (left lateral meniscus surgery) and Eric Gordon (right wrist surgery) have been ruled out for the remainder of the year. Tyrese Maxey hasn’t played since March 3 because of a right finger sprain.
Steph Curry appeared rejuvenated on the floor Tuesday night as he erupted for 52 points and 12 3-pointers in the Warriors’ 134-125 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum.
But what sparked the star point guard’s scoring onslaught? Golden State coach Steve Kerr revealed after the game that it was Curry’s other favorite sport — along with a week off due to injury — that might have had him feeling refreshed before the pivotal Western Conference matchup.
“I think it helped,” Kerr told reporters of Curry’s recent break. “And I think two rounds of golf on this road trip helped. Yeah — I’m only half joking, you know. But yeah, the week off was helpful for him. I think he looks recharged, rejuvenated.”
Curry was relegated to the sidelines for the Warriors’ losses to the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat on March 22 and 25, respectively, after suffering a pelvic contusion in Golden State’s 117-114 win over the Toronto Raptors. The 37-year-old has worn protective tailbone padding since his return on March 28 against the New Orleans Pelicans, and it certainly didn’t hinder him in Tuesday’s win.
Some time on the golf course appears to have served Curry well, too, as the 2023 American Century Championship victor got some swings in when he rejoined the Warriors on their road trip last week.
In Tuesday’s game, Curry again came close to breaking former Warriors teammate Klay Thompson’s single-game 3-point record. And even though he didn’t eclipse his fellow Splash Bro’s mark of 14, his coach still was impressed.
“The guy is 37 years old,” Kerr said. “It’s incredible. Fifty-two points, with people draped all over him, all game long. The conditioning, the skill, the audacity, the belief. It’s just incredible to watch Steph at work. I can’t believe he’s still doing this at this age, but he’s put the work in, and he’s still got it.”
Another night, another Curry performance for the ages. But it’s clear Kerr wanted to credit Curry’s work — and relaxation — on the golf course in addition to his effort on the court.
Draymond Green never will shy away from offering his NBA mentees advice. Even after he helps hand them a brutal loss.
The veteran forward spoke to reporters after the Warriors’ 134-125 win over the Grizzlies on Tuesday at FedExForum and shared why he was “disappointed” in Memphis center Jaren Jackson Jr., who fouled out after colliding with Golden State forward Jimmy Butler with 1:55 remaining in the fourth quarter.
“I’m disappointed in Jaren,” Green said. “I’ve got a lot of love for him, that’s my Spartan dog. He’s too good to still be getting in foul trouble. A couple of them fouls he picked up, he can stay away from those. It’s time for him to take that next step in that department, because it was huge for us for him to get out of the game. And I’m happy he did, but I am a Jaren fan. I’m always rooting for him.
“To see him still getting some of those fouls he’s picking up, he can’t do that. His team needs him out there … Jaren’s got to figure that out, he’s gotten too much better offensively and too hard to stop to be taking himself out of the game on the defensive side of the ball. That was disappointing, from the big brother in me. That was a little disappointing.”
Jackson Jr. himself seems to agree.
Jaren Jackson Jr., who's avoided foul trouble most of the season, has been in major foul trouble in two of the last three games, including fouling out tonight:
"You just can't do it, I'm too important. I have to be out there. That's on me, I definitely let everybody down." pic.twitter.com/kRD9NOWc5B
“You just can’t do it, I’m too important,” Jackson Jr. said postgame. “I have to be out there, and that’s on me. I definitely let everybody down in terms of that and I’ll own that.
Green and Jackson Jr. developed a friendship after the Warriors forward took the young big man under his wing when he was selected by the Grizzlies with the No. 4 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
And even through the Warriors benefited from Jackson Jr.’s absence in the final minutes of Tuesday’s game, Green wishes the former Defensive Player of the Year had stayed out of foul trouble.
Ja Morant might be in trouble with the NBA … again.
The league is “looking into” the Memphis Grizzlies star point guard’s use of finger gun motions toward the Golden State Warriors‘ bench in the final seconds of Tuesday’s matchup between the rivals, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon reported Wednesday, citing sources.
The NBA is looking into Memphis' Ja Morant using finger gun motions toward the Golden State Warriors bench last night, sources tell me and @espn_macmahon.
Things got chippy with 20 seconds remaining and the Warriors up by five as double-technical fouls were assessed to both Morant and Warriors guard Buddy Hield, who also appeared to make a gun gesture toward Morant. Several other Warriors players stepped in and notified the officials of Morant’s gesture.
Morant was suspended twice for flashing a gun on Instagram live videos in 2023, with the first being an eight-game suspension for having a gun at a Denver nightclub. The second video happened over the summer, when he flashed what appeared to be a gun in a car and had to serve a 25-game suspension.
Jayson Tatum is playing the best basketball of his career right now. He’s a two-way superstar leading the defending champion Boston Celtics to what should be a second consecutive season with 60-plus wins.
And yet, he is not a factor in the NBA MVP conversation.
ESPN NBA writer Tim Bontemps released Wednesday the results of his third and final league MVP straw poll this season. It includes 100 voters, many of whom actually have a real MVP ballot this season. Therefore, it’s a pretty good representation of how the final vote tally will play out.
Based on this poll, it looks like Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will win his first MVP, edging out Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who has won three of the last four MVPs.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is in a distant third place, with Tatum right behind him. No other player had more than 100 voting points in Bontemps’ poll.
Nikola Jokic, DEN: 760 points (23 first-place votes)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIL: 381 points
Jayson Tatum, BOS: 363 points
Donovan Mitchell, CLE: 93 points
Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league in scoring at 32.8 points per game and the Thunder own the league’s best record at 63-12. Jokic is averaging a triple-double with 29.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game. He posted the highest-scoring triple-double in league history (61 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
If Jokic hadn’t won three MVPs in the last four years and there was no voter fatigue, he’d probably win the award almost unanimously this year. The fact that he’s averaging almost a 30-point triple-double while shooting 57.5 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from 3-point range and might not win MVP is truly crazy.
Tatum is having a great season, too, averaging 27.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and a career-high 5.9 assists per game. He leads the Celtics in all three categories. Tatum won’t win league MVP, but there’s a more important trophy he’s chasing that gets handed out in June — the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award.
In the immediate afterglow of helping the Boston Celtics secure their 18th title, with champagne-soaked goggles still perched atop his head, Jrue Holiday tried to put into words what it meant to help Al Horford secure that elusive NBA crown.
“[Getting Horford a title] was one of the ultimate goals of [the 2023-24] season,” said Holiday. “I’d run through a brick wall for him.”
Now, as Horford continues to stiff-arm Father Time, and the Celtics prepare to chase another championship, we wondered what it is about the 38-year-old big man that particularly inspires fellow NBA veteran Holiday.
“I think sometimes you just have those people that bring that out of you,” said Holiday. “They’re great humans, they want the best, not only for you, but everybody around them. They’re selfless. They think about other people before themselves. And they do everything for everybody else and then don’t expect credit. I feel like people like that, you want everything great for them.
“And then you also see his career, what he’s done and how he’s been the best player on his team, and then how he handles a situation like this, where there’s so much talent. He’s for sure a Hall of Famer, and I’m pretty sure Al could really be like strutting his stuff and he doesn’t. He’s so respectful, he’s so humble.
“Guys like that, you just want to run through a brick wall for.”
Some wondered if Horford might ride off into the sunset after raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy in Year 17 of his NBA career. The way he’s playing, the more appropriate question now may be whether he can play until the same age as his jersey number (42) — or beyond.
Horford scored a season-high 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting while knocking down six 3-pointers in Boston’s 117-103 triumph over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, capping the first 6-0 road trip in team history. It was Horford’s biggest regular-season scoring output since February 2021.
Horford’s uptick in scoring output helped the Celtics go 14-1 in March, and the team is playing some of its best basketball right before the playoffs arrive. No one seems to highlight this team’s ability to shift to another gear in big moments quite like Horford, who routinely saves his best basketball for when the lights are the brightest.
In typical Horford fashion, he is appreciative of Holiday’s run-through-a-wall remarks, but the big man is certain he’d do the same for any of his teammates.
“It’s a great compliment. But more than anything, I think that we’re all in this together and we understand the opportunity we have in front of us,” said Horford. “So, it’s nice that they say that about me, but we know that we’re playing for — something bigger, and what being a Celtic is all about. I feel like that’s my mindset, that’s our focus.”
Horford seems particularly invigorated to have his son, Ean, around the team this season. Horford’s father, Tito, was a consistent presence during the team’s title run last season, and now a third generation has a front-row seat for the quest to repeat (literally; Ean has sat on the bench during road games and delivered an emphatic chest bump to Derrick White during a recent stop).
Horford, who agreed to shuffle to a reserve role last season in order to maximize Boston’s glut of talent after adding Holiday before the start of the season, has quietly started 40 of the 57 games he’s appeared in this season.
Horford held down the fort with Boston’s starting group while Kristaps Porzingis recovered from offseason surgery at the start of the season, and Boston has rarely been at full health since. For the season, Horford is averaging 8.9 points and 6.1 rebounds over 27.7 minutes per game.
Ironically, Horford’s season-best performance against Memphis on Monday came in a reserve role, with Horford selflessly coming off the bench to allow rarely-utilized backup big man Xavier Tillman to start against his former team.
Sacrifice is a perpetual theme with Horford, who never puts his personal desires ahead of what can help the team.
“You have to sacrifice at different points in order to to get something that you want,” said Horford. “I feel like, as a player and for me personally, I feel like I’ve done that throughout my career.
“Last year was probably even more of a step, in that sense. But, for me, ultimately I understood the opportunity that was in front of us and what we have here with the group that we have. And it was something that, it was tough, but it was the right thing. So that’s what it’s all about.”
I’m more excited this year than last year. Just very determined to get this done.
Al Horford on his mindset entering the playoffs
Positioned with a chance to chase another title, and knowing just how rare it is to even be in that position, Horford seems insanely motivated by the opportunity in front of this team now.
“We understand it,” said Horford. “But, more than that, I’m really driven. I really want this for our group and for the Celtics organization. So it’s one of those things that I’m more excited, I feel, this year than last year. So just very determined for us to get this done.”
Holiday knows a little too well about how a championship can motivate Horford. Holiday laughs recalling how Horford’s Florida squad defeated the UCLA team that Holiday would soon commit to during the 2006 national title game, and then again in the national semifinals in 2007.
“I watched Al beat UCLA so — that was rough,” said Holiday. “So I’ve watched Al for a while. But even through his career, just him always being, for one, true to himself — I think that’s probably the most important part.
“Especially in the type of business that we’re in, sometimes you can get a little carried away. But Al’s always been himself. He’s believed in himself and had his faith and that’s obviously something that I stand on and think is very respectable.”
Holiday, too, has sacrificed his individual stats to help his teams succeed throughout his career. But even after arriving in Boston last season, watching Horford do the same made it that much easier to embrace.
“I like to win,” said Holiday. “I like to win and I feel like, when it comes to winning, you have to do whatever is necessary. Sometimes if you want to and sometimes if you don’t. But I think a lot of the times you get a certain gratification if you are the handyman or doing the dirty work.