NBA News: Al Horford Cleared to Play Game 2 vs. Miami Heat

The Boston Celtics will get a reinforcement for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Boston

The Boston Celtics will get a reinforcement for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday night. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Boston Celtics big man, Al Horford has been cleared for action.

After the Celtics took down the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 this past weekend, Al Horford's playing status for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals was in question as he entered the league's health and safety protocol.

Without Horford, the Celtics looked like they were in good shape as they got off to a solid start against the Miami Heat. However, a second-half comeback put the Celtics down 0-1 in the series.

On Thursday morning, Horford was upgraded from out to questionable. As Horford had several tests to clear, Boston was hopeful he would be cleared for action before tip-off. Fortunately for the Celtics, that will be the case.

Another Former Sixer to Play in the ECF

Just a couple of seasons ago, Horford left the Celtics to sign a multi-year deal with the Sixers in hopes of boosting their chances of making a run in the playoffs.

Horford's time in Philadelphia was forgettable. As the Celtics standout had a hard time co-existing with Sixers center Joel Embiid in the starting lineup, the 76ers could never find the right fit for Horford.

And when the 2020 playoffs rolled around, Horford and the Sixers were eliminated by the Celtics in the first round in just four games. Fast forward two seasons later, and Horford is on quite the run with the Celtics once again. On Thursday night, Horford will make his 2022 Eastern Conference Finals debut in Game 2.

---

More Sixers News:

Lack of Mental Toughness: Philadelphia 76ers veterans Tobias Harris and Danny Green believed that Philadelphia’s playoff struggles in the second round could be attributed to a lack of mental toughness and maturity on the team. Following the Game 6 loss against the Miami Heat, the two veterans weighed in on the idea that the team wasn’t mentally ready to take the next step. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE 

Need an Enforcer: Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid believed that a lack of physicality hurt his team in the second-round playoff series against the Miami Heat. After seeing the impact that a player like P.J. Tucker had on the Heat, Embiid publicly encourages the Sixers’ front office to find an enforcer in the offseason. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.