Nickel: Al Horford in a Boston Celtics uniform has been a nightmare for the Milwaukee Bucks

If it feels like Milwaukee has seen the likes of Al Horford for a lifetime, it’s because in a way, the Bucks have.

The veteran Boston Celtics forward has scored 600 career points against Milwaukee – an average of 15.4 points and 8.2 rebounds – and he’s faced only Detroit, Brooklyn and New York in more games in his impressive 15-year career.

Having played for Boston in 2018-19, the Celtics re-signed the 35-year-old for this season, and he has played exceptionally well in this Bucks-Celtics series so far, particularly in Game 2 – at a surprise to no one in a Milwaukee uniform.

"He is a great player. He does it all,” Bucks center Bobby Portis said. “Passes the ball well, rebounds it, pushes it in transition, the defensive anchor. Just a Jack of all trades. Having the chance to be in the league and seeing him for seven years has been fun, it's always highly competitive and challenges you on both ends of the floor.

"He can also step out there and hit the three-pointer as well. He can score on all three levels. Shoot the ball well, pass the ball well.

“Playing against him is always fun. He's a highly competitive guy."

While the Celtics largely earned the right to win Game 2 with their guards and swing forwards outside and three-point scoring, Horford played a big role otherwise with another “quiet” double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds. He had one in Boston’s Game 1 loss to Milwaukee as well.

In this series, while its early, Horford is averaging 11.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.5 steals and is shooting 40.0% from the floor, 35.7% from three-point range. It's rare when he doesn't score in double digits.

Horford’s defense was also exceptional. He took on Giannis Antetokounmpo in one-on-one situations when Robert Williams III didn’t, and in other cases they teamed up to defend Milwaukee’s MVP. Usually that's a matchup Milwaukee wants, a one-on-one for Antetokounmpo against anybody. But Horford stood tall.

Since Horford defended well on those turnaround jumpers that didn’t fall for Antetokounmpo and he played a role in holding the Bucks to 89 points scoring – their lowest of the season – that will be a key matchup to watch when the series resumes for Game 3 in Milwaukee on Saturday for the Eastern Conference semifinals.

"Yeah, he can protect, he's physical,” said Bucks guard Grayson Allen. “So if a lot of times Robert Williams is coming over weak side jumping up in the air to get the ball in play, Al Horford is physical. He's usually there a little earlier, but he's still got long arms. He's a big guy. So he's still a good rim protector.

"And they're playing both those guys together a lot and then Grant Williams at the three they have a lot of size out there to protect the rim."

It feels like a million years ago, but in the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals between these two teams, Horford was a force – 16 points in 34 minutes averaged in the five-game series, and nearly a blocked shot every game. Just 32-years-old then, he was a main producer for that Celtics team.

These Celtics are different, but even still, Boston trusts Horford enough to play him 37 minutes in the last game and keep No. 34 in front of him on defense while also pouring enough shots on offense to challenge Milwaukee's defense.

“Offensively, us getting downhill, attacking a little bit more – the point is they have good rim protectors – and they crowd the paint, but, its not Wilt Chamberlain out there," said Boston coach Ime Udoka right after Game 2. "There’s guys we can get downhill and attack. And we’ve got guys that can finish.

“Still missed a few dump offs to Rob tonight, a few to Al as well – but obviously we did much better tonight.”

Message Lori Nickel on Twitter at @LoriNickel, Instagram at @bylorinickel or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChinUpLoriNickel 

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Boston Celtics' Al Horford continues to have success against Bucks