Fifteen seasons and 141 playoff games were worth the wait for Boston Celtics forward Al Horford.
In his NBA Finals debut on Thursday, Horford didn't just lead his team in scoring in a 120-108 win over the Golden State Warriors, he made some history in the process.
Horford scored 26 points for Boston, connecting on 9 of 12 shots from the field -- including 6 of 8 from 3-point range. Horford's six made 3s were the most ever for a player in his Finals debut, as well as a career-high for Horford himself between the regular or postseasons -- a total of 1,092 games.
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Not bad for someone a night before turning 36 years old.
"It was the way that we were moving the ball on offense," Horford said. "Just being in those positions, I felt like the guys kept finding me time after time. Derrick White hit some tough shots there too. Get some looks, knock 'em down, that's that."
Horford had 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, a frame in which the Celtics outscored the Warriors, 40-16, to steal homecourt advantage in stunning fashion. He had the 3-point basket which put Boston ahead for good, 106-103, on a feed from Payton Pritchard with 5:10 remaining.
"Al's the O.G., man," Marcus Smart said. "He puts in the work. Don't nobody deserve to be here more than him."
Horford also had six rebounds, three assists and a steal in his Finals debut, logging 33 minutes on the floor for the Celtics.