While Horford is still a massive contributor to the Celtics’ winning ways, some of his biggest highlights are behind him, as he made clear on one play on Sunday against the Denv

Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) smiles in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Sunday, March 2, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/)

Looking to get back on track at the TD Garden in their second of an eight-game homestand, the Celtics were carried by clutch performances by guard Derrick White and Al Horford. In their last outing without Holiday and Porzingis,

With Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Jrue Holiday (finger) sidelined, Horford fared well in the starting lineup alongside Luke Kornet. The Celtics have a back-to-back set coming up Wednesday against Portland and Thursday versus the 76ers, so fantasy managers can anticipate a maintenance day for one of those games.

The Nuggets almost survived to Jokic’s return. They were down 88-84. The last minute without him was a near-death sentence, though. Sam Hauser knocked down a transition drive-and-kick 3-pointer to bring the house down with 8:11 to go, highlighting a 6-0 burst.

The Celtics got little from their bench in the Cavaliers loss, so the depth guys made up for it with big contributions in the Nuggets win.

If Boston approaches it right, it could set them up for a furious start to the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Horford recently took some time to talk it all over with the media at a recent Celtics community event.

The victory gives Boston a season sweep of the Nuggets. Jaylen Brown led the way for Boston with a team-high 22 points and eight assists while Jayson Tatum flirted with a triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. Nikola Jokic nearly had a triple-double for the Nuggets in the setback, posting 20 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists.