Al Horford to Miss First Round of the NBA Playoffs

Some bad news out of Atlanta today — center Al Horford, still recovering from surgery to repair his left pectoral muscle, will not suit up in the first round of the Playoffs. Per the AJC: “I just spoke with Hawks center Al Horford, who confirmed that he will miss at least the first round of the playoffs. Horford has been rehabbing from left pectoral muscle surgery and said he is just not where he needs to be physically. Horford went through 4-on-4 full-court drills on Monday and was encouraged, prompting him to tell a reporter he was planning to return for the playoffs. However on Tuesday, Horford said he knew he could not play. ‘Yesterday, I realized that I’m not nearly where I need to be or want to be – not even to give the team anything,’ Horford said. ‘That’s when we kind of decided that it was best for me to take some time off, keep working, see how I progress. But we are just not where we need to be yet.’ Horford will not play against the Mavs in the regular-season finale Thursday nor the first-round series against the Celtics. He said he will continue to work in the hopes he could return for the second round of the playoffs should the Hawks advance.”