Atlanta Hawks big man Al Horford has wavered on whether his torn pectoral muscle in his shoulder would heal in time for him to return for the 2012 NBA Playoffs, but now, he has made a definitive public statement on the matter. The Hawks' All-Star center said he will miss the team's first-round NBA Playoffs series against the Boston Celtics and hopes to return if the Hawks advance to the second round.
#Hawks C @Al_Horford (pectoral) says he's out for 1st round vs. #Celtics. Hopes to play in 2nd round.
— Michael Cunningham (@ajchawks) April 25, 2012
One previous report suggested Horford would return for the playoffs, but that is not realistic, as Horford himself has admitted he's frustrated by the slow progress on his recovery. Horford suffered the shoulder injury on January 11, and it was speculated that his recovery time would be 3-4 months.
Without Horford, the Hawks will have to rely on Zaza Pachulia and Jason Collins against the Celtics. Pachulia is dealing with his own injury, a sprained foot ligament.
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