Although he finished the Celtics’ victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night after injuring his left calf in the first half, Al Horford declared himself out Saturday, the Celtics’ last game before a four-day break as they travel to London to take on the 76ers Thursday.

Horford wore a sleeve on the left knee in the second half against the Timberwolves and played nearly 17 minutes, scoring 5 points with four rebounds and three assists in the final two quartersof the 91-84 win. But one day later the knee didn’t feel so good and Horford took the night off.

“Not like I want it to, so I won’t play,’’ Horford said before the Celtics defeated the Nets, 87-85. “I just think it’s not feeling right and we’ll take it day to day. I hope to play the next game.’’

How did Horford injure himself?

“Honest, I don’t even remember the play, but it was early in the second quarter, and we worked around it,’’ he said. “I felt good enough to go back in and finish the game, and we’ve been treating it all last night and today.’’

Meanwhile, the Celtics got a lineup addition with the return of Marcus Morris, who sat out Friday to rest his sore knee.

He logged 26:14 of playing time and finished with 8 points and four rebounds.

Irving has veteran wisdom

Kyrie Irving does not like to refer to the Celtics’ younger players as his “little brothers’’ or “kids’’ or anything that may disparage their youth, an obvious preference after his experience being called those things by former teammate LeBron James.

And despite being in his seventh year in the league and a grizzled veteran on this team, Irving said he is still learning how to accept poor games and not focus on particular performances.

In Saturday’s win over Brooklyn, Irving was 8 for 23 from the field. In Friday’s win over Minnesota, Irving was limited to 16 points on 6-for-16 shooting, and that was after scoring 11 points on 5-for-14 shooting in the victory over Cleveland.

Irving said he has been grateful for the team’s offensive balance has resulted in recent victories and he has learned by experience not to lament tough shooting nights.

“It’s a career [experience],’’ Irving said. “Obviously, naturally as an NBA player and as a professional the years that we’ve played, you can overthink. People can overlook the accomplishments and the things you do in your career.

“As a young player I just used to get stuck on one game and think this was going to be the end all be all. If I don’t do well tonight I don’t know if I will make it to tomorrow.’’

The ups and downs of Irving’s career, especially experiencing so much losing the first three years in Cleveland and then winning the next three has taught him to be more level headed.

“Now it’s really about the big picture,’’ he said. “You can affect the game offensively and defensively, put your team in a great position to win and that’s the only thing that really matters. All the other stats and everything you try to make important, you can but it will be [detrimental].

“I’ve been there. I can’t ever put myself first. That’s where I hold it, and like I said it’s a career.’’

When asked at what point he made that transition, Irving said: “I actually just had a chance to slow down and realize patience was going to get my through these seasons. I can’t necessarily pinpoint a specific point. For me this season has been a learning experience to be able to do that.’’

Giving back

Irving gave out tickets to Saturday’s game to players from his alma mater, St. Patrick’s High School in Hillside, N.J., and also donated to refurbishing the team’s practice court.

The court is named the Irving Family Court.

“The expectations I brought forth on this season, brought forth on myself, if wouldn’t have that patience I would have probably would have lost it and I can’t lose it and I refuse to. I’m just too strong internally and mentally to do that. There are a lot of the aspects in the game of basketball that are considered and are not considered. Individually you have to figure it out at that time. It took some time to figure it out.’’

“I did talk to my dad earlier and that was one of the best things I could contribute to St. Patrick’s High School,’’ he said. “Giving them a place to be free and they can really relish in that opportunity in getting better. I always show love and I believe giving back is the best thing you can do.’’

Gary Washburn can be reached at gwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @GwashburnGlobe.