Al Horford is ready for the storm that's sure to come from screaming fans Friday night when the Hawks face the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.

The Hawks' rookie center spent three years touring some of the most venomous environments in basketball during his All-American career at Florida.

So he's been in an uncomfortable place or two and handled himself pretty well.

"I've heard some pretty nasty things over the years, about myself and my family and just about anything else you can think of," Horford said. "I've never been one to play to the crowd or let them get to me, and I won't start now, no matter what's being said or done."

The ill-feelings toward Horford stem from his foul on Raptors point guard T.J. Ford late in the Hawks' Dec. 11 loss that resulted in Ford spending the night in an Atlanta hospital and Horford being suspended for a game for a flagrant foul.