Jrue Holiday has been no stranger to making clutch plays late in games for the Milwaukee Bucks over the past two seasons. Whether it be his game-winner jumper against the Memphis Grizzlies in the regular season last year or his now-iconic steal and alley-oop to Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2021 NBA Finals, Holiday has his share of late-game heroics in a Bucks uniform. Holiday has a knack for showing up in the biggest moments, which is a theme that has carried over into this year after the 2022 All-Star break.
How Jrue Holiday has upped his production mightily in the fourth quarter for the Milwaukee Bucks
Holiday has played in three of Milwaukee’s four fourth quarters since returning from the All-Star break, with the lone expectation being a blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets.
During the three games where he did hit the floor in the final 12 minutes, Holiday has been stellar by averaging an impressive 9.7 points while shooting 11-of-15 (73.3 percent) from the floor and 3-of-6 (50 percent) from 3-point territory, according to NBA.com/stats. The only two players that have averaged more points per game in the fourth following the break are Kyrie Irving, who is at 12 but has made just one appearance in that span, and Ja Morant, who has averaged 11.8 across four appearances.
Looking through Holiday’s three fourth-quarter performances in this span, he started things off on the wrong foot against the Brooklyn Nets. While he did score six points in the final quarter, Holiday also missed four attempts from the line, which proved fatal as the Bucks lost by just three points. Those misses from the line seemed to ignite a fire beneath the guard as Holiday has turned up the intensity during his last two fourth quarters following the Brooklyn game.
In Milwaukee’s recent matchup with the Miami Heat, Holiday came to life in the final 12 minutes by scoring seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, including 1-of-2 from behind the arc. Of course, one of those baskets was the game-winning bucket, which cemented the Bucks’ massive comeback win that they desperately needed. Obviously, his game-winner stole the show, but Holiday also handed out three assists in the fourth to get his teammates involved and secure the victory.
Following his heroics against the Heat, Holiday once again took over late in the game for the Bucks as they trailed the Chicago Bulls in Friday night’s game. Entering the fourth quarter with 10 points under his belt, it was a tough scoring outing for Holiday for the first 36 minutes, but with the snap of his fingers, the veteran flipped the switch. Holiday scored an eye-popping 16 points in the final quarter, shooting 6-of-8 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. Unlike the Brooklyn game, Holiday stepped to the line in this one and sunk two free throws to seal the deal. Along with his 16 points, the guard tallied five rebounds, an assist, and a blocked shot in the fourth to cap off yet another great night.
After the win, Giannis Antetokounmpo raved about Holiday’s efforts, talking about how much he enjoys playing alongside the veteran.
"“It’s amazing having a point guard like that and to play with him. You can’t ask for anything better. He makes good decisions, he can score the ball, and he will come the other way and guard the best player. That’s what makes him special.”"
Special indeed. Holiday has been outright incredible across the final 12 minutes of games since the Milwaukee Bucks returned from the All-Star break, which is precisely what the have needed.
Hopefully the guard can continue these efforts as the Bucks look to build up momentum down the stretch of the 2021-22 NBA season.