NBA fans were treated to a marquee matchup between two of the top teams from each conference in the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors. Both sides traded punches throughout the whole game before the Warriors ultimately pulled away with the 109-105 victory. However, Celtics center Al Horford was able to find the silver lining in their defeat.

According to Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post, Horford feels the loss was a ‘step forward' for the Celtics.

“I think we took a step forward, even in a loss.”

It is always difficult to find the positives that come out of a loss, especially for a Celtics team that has not been playing like a No. 1 seed lately. However, there is plenty of truth to Horford's comments.

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The Celtics have struggled tremendously over the last two weeks. Prior to their showdown with the Warriors, Boston had won just one out of its last five games, which included losses to the likes of the lowly Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.

That said, it seems the prospect of giving the Warriors a run for their money on Saturday night was a solid start for the Celtics to get back on track as far as Horford is concerned.

The veteran center continues to be one of Boston's most consistent performers. Although he has not been tasked with shouldering the scoring duties as he did in years past, Horford now does a little bit of everything for the Celtics. He is averaging 13.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game en route to his fifth All-Star selection this year.