Fans of the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics had Tuesday’s game circled on their calendars for months now.
While some of the lust surrounding the matchup was taken away when it was announced that the Celtics would be without a handful of their key starters, this game was not being viewed as a walk in the park for the Bucks. That proved to be the case, as the shorthanded Celtics came out with no fear and gave the Bucks a run for their money. It was one of Milwaukee’s most frustrating games of the year, but luckily, Jrue Holiday was there to calm the masses with another clutch outing.
Jrue Holiday’s clutch heroics save the day as Bucks beat the Celtics
There had been a lot of talk lately regarding whether or not Holiday was deserving of being named a 2023 NBA Eastern Conference All-Star. Holiday certainly silenced those doubters with a monster game on both ends of the floor versus Boston. With 40 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and a much-needed trio of steals, Holiday’s two-way impact was immeasurable in this one as he led the Bucks to a down-to-the-wire 131-125 win in overtime.
Jrue Holiday got himself into a nice groove in the first half by scoring 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, which included knocking down three of his four triples. He also had five assists as the Bucks led by one point heading to the break. The guard carried that momentum over into the second half, as he continued to score and facilitate the ball extremely well. Yet, the Bucks found themselves trailing by eight points with less than two seconds left in the third quarter. Holiday gave the Bucks a big jolt heading to the fourth by hitting a 41-foot 3-pointer to cut it to five.
In the fourth, Holiday was masterful by scoring 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting, including a perfect 2-of-2 from deep. Still, it was not enough to put Boston away, as they forced overtime thanks to a Sam Hauser 3-pointer with seconds left. Holiday continued his scoring in the extra five minutes by adding seven more points to his total, but it was his defense that stood out. The guard tallied two steals in OT, one of which was a clutch takeaway from Derrick White that led to a big dunk on the other end to pull Milwaukee within one point. That dunk gave the Bucks enough momentum to finish the Celtics off and get the win.
What stood out the most from Holiday’s performance were his eight 3-point makes, which were a new career-high. That 41-footer at the third-quarter buzzer was a perfect indication of how much he had it going from deep, and the Bucks needed all eight of those makes.
Holiday was outright incredible in the win and showed why is he a 2023 All-Star Reserve.
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