Al Horford Shows Young Warriors How To Get It Done In Comeback Win Vs. Grizzlies

Al Horford shows young Warriors how to get it done in comeback win vs. Grizzlies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO—Scrap, fight, and claw are three words that will keep young players in the NBA on the court and earn them larger roles. At 39 years old, Warriors center Al Horford still ascribes to them too.

“To have a guy like Al, we know he’s 39 years old, but he’s still playing like he’s 20,” Gui Santos said Monday night. “He’s great, he’s great, I love him.”

The shorthanded Warriors pulled off a wild 114-113 comeback win against the even more shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center on Monday night, and it was Horford showing the young guys the way. 

The Grizzlies on the final possession had a 21-year-old, 22-year-old, two 23-year-olds and a 25-year-old on the floor. The Warriors used a 22-year-old, two 23-year-olds, a 27-year-old, and the 39-year-old Horford. 

Somehow, the oldest of the bunch was the one outworking his competition to give the Warriors every extra chance at a win.

Horford, with two hands, forcefully secured the ball tipped to him from De’Anthony Melton winning his jump ball, grabbed his missed layup, went to tip it in, and grabbed that as well. Then, he held on to the ball with two Grizzlies swiping at it, fell to the floor, and still found Santos right there for an acrobatic game-winning layup. 

“The last possession, did you see how hard he grabbed the ball there? And luckily I was there to help him. You see that and you get hyped,” Santos said. “Like, I got to run for this guy on defense. I got to play to help this guy, because he’s helping me. We got to play together to help him too.” 

Horford and Santos, 16 years apart with far different NBA paths, were the Warriors two best and most impactful players in a win where Steph Curry missed his fourth straight game because of soreness in his right knee. Each scored 16 points, one off Pat Spencer’s team-high 17. Horford led the Warriors with nine rebounds, and Santos was second with eight. If scoring and rebounding weren’t enough, Horford’s six assists also were second to only Spencer’s seven.

Outside of Santos, the four other Warriors starters surrounding him combined to be a minus-41. Santos was a plus-11 as the lone Warriors starter to have a positive plus/minus. 

In a game where the Warriors trailed by as much as 17 and were behind for the most part in a building that was lifeless until the final few minutes, Horford being a whopping plus-24 in 26 minutes off the bench feels impossible. It’s a testament to who he still is and what he still stands for. 

“We could not have a better example on the team than Al,” Santos said.

Spencer added: “He’s unreal. There’s a reason he’s been in the league for that long. Similar to Jimmy [Butler], you get him the ball, the offense slows down. Gets guys organized, he’s going to make the right play the majority of the time. Just very easy to play with.” 

The stories of Santos, Spencer and Horford couldn’t be more different. Santos was the No. 55 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, spent his first full season in the G League and has turned himself from spark off the bench to an important role player. Movie screens are meant to tell Spencer’s story of self belief, going from the best college lacrosse player in the country to switching sports, going undrafted and now years later being a fiery fan-favorite. 

Their Basketball Reference pages don’t quite look the same as Horford’s. Former No. 3 overall pick, two-time college champion and one-time NBA champion, five-time All-Star, one All-NBA and one All-Defensive team. Those are accolades that could one day have Horford enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. 

And his base is built from fundamentals that Santos, Spencer and anybody else can use. His hustle hasn’t stopped either and it’s a guide for those two and all his teammates. The Warriors after going down 10 points with five minutes left against the Grizzlies reeled off a 13-2 run to win the game. Horford in that span had four points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal. 

Just two games prior as the Warriors used a 22-5 run for epic comeback win against the Suns in Phoenix, Horford flew out of bounds and hurled the ball back in bounds with his team ahead by two. A falling Moses Moody found it and tipped it ahead to Melton for a last-second layup full of emotion. 

“He’s a Hall of Fame player,” Steve Kerr said of Horford on Monday night. “Even though he’s 39 he keeps himself in great shape. His fundamentals are incredible. His footwork, his hands, understanding pivots to get out of trouble. That’s four years at Florida, two national titles playing for Billy [Donovan]. He came into the league ready, and then you add 19 years on top of that. All that experience, he’s seen it all. 

“He’s a great player, we’re lucky to have him.” 

Fundamentals can be taught. Heart and hustle cannot. Four months from his 40th birthday, Horford still has both as the identity the Warriors have to fully embrace to be a team full of feisty competitors.

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