If the Golden State Warriors had a Christmas wish list this year, it certainly would have included a healthy and productive version of Al Horford who's struggled to make an impact so far this season.
That wish was granted on Thursday though as Horford sparked to life in his return from a sciatic injury, helping the Warriors to a 126-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks in their marquee Christmas Day matchup at Chase Center.
Al Horford returned in positive fashion against the Mavericks on Christmas
Horford had arguably his most blistering sequence in a Warrior uniform, drilling four threes in the final minutes of the opening period to help build a lead that the hosts never relinquished despite the Mavericks' best efforts over the final three quarters.
Horford only added two points over the remainder of the game, having played just over 11 minutes after missing 10 of the 11 last outings due to injury. Still, Horford's 14 points were a season-high, beating the 13 he had against the Denver Nuggets back on October 23 when he played 29 minutes in an overtime thriller.
The veteran center also had a notable play in the second-half where he ran the ball up the floor before finding a cutting Jimmy Butler for a dunk. Horford's 14 points were accompanied by four rebounds, two assists and two steals, with the 5x All-Star delivering one of his best performances of the season despite the limited minutes.
Merry buckets from Al Horford
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 25, 2025
📺 #NBAonABC pic.twitter.com/nlPXHSsFdN
Horford was one of seven Golden State players to reach double figures in scoring, led by Stephen Curry who had 23 points, three rebounds and four assists. However, the 2x MVP's notable shooting struggles in Christmas Day games continued, having shot just 6-of-18 from the floor and 2-of-10 from 3-point range.
Butler only added 14 points but flirted with a triple-double, notching nine rebounds and nine assists while being a +14 nearly 32 minutes. De'Anthony Melton's shooting percentages are still a concern, but the veteran guard ended up the second-leading scorer with 16 points and also led the Warriors as a +19 in 24 minutes off the bench.
Horford played some of his minutes alongside Trayce Jackson-Davis as part of a double big lineup in the first-half, with the latter also impressing with 10 points and five rebounds on 5-of-6 shooting in less than 13 minutes.
No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg had a game-high 27 points on 13-of-21 shooting in 36 minutes, but the Mavericks were dealt a further injury blow when star big man Anthony Davis exited with a groin issue after only 10 minutes.
The Warriors have now won three-straight games to surge back beyond .500 at 16-15 on the season, with a three-game road trip on the horizon which starts with the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.