Celtics' Horford upgraded to questionable for Game 2 vs. Heat

Boston Celtics center Al Horford could see the court against the Miami Heat in Game 2 on Tuesday night. David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics big man Al Horford upgraded to questionable for Game 2 vs. Heat

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 5/19/22

Boston Celtics fans found out Thursday morning that guard Derrick White would miss Thursday night's Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals due to personal reasons. It was later reported that White and his wife were expecting the birth of their first child.

While the former San Antonio Spur won't be on the court on Thursday, the C's are optimistic that Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart will be returning to action after missing the Game 1 loss on Tuesday. Smart was upgraded to probable on Wednesday, but fellow starter Al Horford entered gameday as "doubtful" due to his placement in the NBA's health and safety protocols.

Just hours after the news on White came out, Boston received a promising update on Horford.

The Celtics have continued testing Al Horford with the hope that he can exit health and safety protocols prior to Game 2, sources said. https://t.co/qiKZDY67hH
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 19, 2022

The five-time All-Star averaged just 10.2 points per game during the regular season (his lowest figure since his rookie year) and his field goal percentage (46.7%) and three-point field goal percentage (33.6%) were both below his career averages. He posted 7.7 rebounds per contest over 69 games, though, which were his highest number in eight years, and has stepped it up in the postseason.

Horford dropped a playoff career-high 30 points during the team's Game 4 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals and has averaged a near double-double through his 11 postseason games this spring with 13.0 points and a team-high 9.4 rebounds per contest. The former Atlanta Hawk star has added 3.4 assists, 1.4 blocks, 1.1 steals and 36.5 minutes per game, while posting a .524/.451/.833 shooting line.

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