As expected, Warriors big man Al Horford will return to action on Thursday. The 39-year-old has been upgraded to available for the Christmas matchup vs Dallas, tweets Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
Horford has missed the past seven games — and 11 of the past 12 — due to right sciatic nerve irritation. Head coach Steve Kerr indicated on Wednesday that the longtime forward/center would likely play today.
Health issues have limited Horford’s availability and effectiveness in 2025/26. He had appeared in 13 of Golden State’s 30 games entering Thursday, averaging career lows in points (5.6), rebounds (4.4) and minutes (21.5) per game. Horford is also posting career-worst percentages on twos (38.1%) and threes (29.8%), though the sample sizes are very small (8-of-21 and 17-of-57, respectively).
A five-time former All-Star, Horford has transitioned into an effective role player in the latter stages of his career, helping Boston win the championship in 2024. The 19-year veteran was the Warriors’ marquee free agent signing in the offseason, signing a two-year, $11.7MM deal that includes a player option for 2026/27.
Horford will come off the bench on Thursday, with Kerr using the same starting lineup (Stephen Curry, Moses Moody, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Quinten Post), he has been running for the past handful of games, notes ESPN’s Anthony Slater (via Twitter).