The 37-year-old backup centre Al Horford had 10 points and 7 rebounds in 26 minutes of play in last night’s win over the Knicks. His stats won’t stand out.

On the other hand, he gave another great effort in his quiet way. In the last quarter, Horford grabbed four offensive rebounds, took back time, and muscled his way into several successful post-ups. He also made some classic key defensive plays that helped the Celtics win.

In turn, the Celtics won their eighth straight game and their eighth straight game on the road since losing in Milwaukee on January 11.

By an impressive eight games, they have the best record in the East. The #2 Cavaliers are closer to the eighth place than they are to Boston. Plus, they have the best point difference in the league at 10.3 per game, which is more than the 2008 championship team.

Still, they’re not happy, and Horford wants it to stay that way.

Hurford said, “We’re continuing to play good basketball,” after helping the Celtics beat the Knicks 116–102. It’s important to us to play the right way. Joe is pushing us hard to keep getting better. Here’s a part of the season where we can step it up, and that’s what we’re going for.

A lot of talk before the season started about which of the Celtics’ top six players would be sent to the bench. Horford, who has played in the NBA for 16 years, moved to sixth man with grace.

Kristaps Porzingis and other starters have missed time this season, so Horford has started 22 of the 47 games he’s played. He’s also done great in a new role that requires him to come in and provide energy, ball movement, and rebounds.

During the first half, the Celtics, and Kristaps Porzingis in particular, had trouble on the floor. Nine second-chance points went to the Knicks because they grabbed seven offensive rebounds. But Joe Mazzulla said that Horford limited the damage by stopping the Knicks from grabbing several rebounds so that his teammates could, which doesn’t show up on the stat sheet but saved the team several baskets.

As for Al, Mazzulla said, “I thought his physicality in the first half—there were a couple of 50/50 rebounds that kept the Knicks from those transition chances.”

Horford was set on hitting mismatches when he was on offence. On offence, he spends most of his time in the wings, where he’s made 42.8% of his three-point shots this season. But because Precious Achiuwa was covering him for most of the fourth, he saw an opening and started to move down low.

“They were doubling those, so we kind of saw that as another way to make a two-on-one,” Joe Mazzulla said. “He did a great job. He connected on one finish, grabbed another offensive rebound, and missed another clear shot.” When he can change the game on defence and act as a leader, it’s big for us.

In the fourth quarter, Horford scored six points, which was tied for the most by any Celtic player. It looked like the Knicks were getting ahead, but he always made a big play.

In the 11th minute, Al took Achiuwa’s sideline shot to make the score 13–11.

His friends and coaches often talk about how important he is to the team and how much it motivates the rest of the players to see the veteran make an impact play after impact play.

That effect was clear last night in Madison Square Garden, almost 17 years after he was drafted.

“It gives us so much energy and makes us so excited,” Jayson Tatum said after the Wizards beat Atlanta on November 28. “The feeling spreads. The crowd gets energy from that. He’s a teammate. Everybody loves and looks up to him. Throughout the night, he does wonderful things for us, and we are grateful.