The Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks to win their eighth straight game, but Al Horford thinks they’re “not where we need to be yet”.
With their victory on Saturday, the Celtics extended their winning run to a season-high 116 games. They now lead the Eastern Conference by eight games.
With 30 points from Jaylen Brown, 22 from Kristaps Porzingis, and 19 from Jayson Tatum, along with 10 points from the bench from Horford, Boston defeated the Knicks for the fourth time this season.
Horford thinks that the Celtics need to hold themselves to higher standards despite their current winning ways.
“It’s just the way kind of the season has gone,” he stated.
We’ve persevered in solving problems and have largely held our own. It goes without saying that the [Philadelphia 76ers] have injuries, and other clubs have other situations going on.
“However, I can only say that we’re still playing excellent basketball. We’re sincerely attempting to play the correct game. I believe that Joe Mazzulla, the coach of the Celtics, is pushing us to keep improving. We are attempting to elevate it to a new level because this is the part of the season where we can really do so.
“I feel like we’re not where we need to be yet, and that’s a good thing.”
“The guys know how to positively impact each other,” Mazzulla continued.
They are aware that exploring a certain area early on in the game will make it more accessible to another player later on. Additionally, the guys trust the various combinations we have, which improves our chances of winning.
“The guys are realizing that the main goal is winning at all times. They are aware of their mutual effects.”
However, Brown said that the Celtics’ performance will really matter in the postseason.
“None of that stuff really matters when it comes down to the playoffs,” he stated.
It seems to me that playing hard and matchups will be key factors. Of course, having a home court advantage is important, but winning basketball games is essential once the competition heats up. Whatever kind of seed you have.
In fact, it increases your workload. However, I believe our crew has experience. We’ve dealt with these circumstances previously, so I believe we’re prepared.
