Al Horford sure looks like Giannis Antetokounmpo’s kryptonite

Giannis Antetokounmpo may have been the best player on the floor, but Al Horford was the Most Valuable Player in Boston’s shocking 112-90 playoff win in Game 1 on Sunday. Horford absolutely shut Antetokounmpo down. If the Greek Freak is the NBA’s Superman, Horford, at least for one game, was his kryptonite.

Horford final tally was three blocks against the Bucks on Sunday. But all of them came against Antetokounmpo, including one devastating sequence where Horford blocked Antetokounmpo twice on the same possession. The second of the two blocks may have been the most disrespectful block we’ve ever seen on the MVP candidate. It should have counted as two rejections by itself.

Here’s another angle, in slower motion:

Antetokounmpo earns his name as one of the most dominant players in the NBA this season because he appropriately used his size and strength to dominate opposing defenses. But he was unable to use that brute force to bully Boston’s trio of front court defenders: Horford, Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes. Antetokounmpo shot just 7-of-21 from the field. Horford’s consistent defense — both on-the-ball and helping from the weak side — set the tone from the beginning of the game.

We knew that Horford would have to be the savior if this Boston team was going to make a championship run. Irving is an all-world scorer and playmaker, and Boston’s roster is deep with talent at every position. But Horford is the key for the Celtics; he’s the engine that keeps this well-oiled machine running on both ends of the floor.

Horford didn’t just neutralize Antetokounmpo; he also put up 20 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. He was the difference in a 22-point blowout win in Game 1. And if he plays like this the entire series, he’ll be the difference between returning to the Eastern Conference Finals and falling to the Bucks in the second round.