The Boston Celtics are halfway there. After taking down Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks Sunday night in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals, Boston needs just two more wins to raise banner No. 18. After Jaylen Brown led the team in scoring in the series opener, it was a different weapon that led the way in scoring for Boston in Game 2, and it's no other than veteran point guard Jrue Holiday.
The 33-year-old Holiday created problems for the Mavericks on both ends of the floor, leading to former Celtics big man Kendrick Perkins giving Holiday his flowers before Game 2 even ended.
“Jrue Holiday was the missing piece for the Bucks and now he’s doing the same thing for Celtics. He has been the best player on both ends of the floor tonight. That’s why the Celtics paid him the big bucks,” Perkins wrote on X (the social media platform formerly called Twitter).
Holiday has been a gift that keeps on giving for the Celtics, and in Game 2, he presented Boston with yet another sterling performance. The two-time NBA All-Star stepped up big time and dropped a total of 26 points. He barely missed from the field, going 11/14 while knocking down two of his four attempts from behind the arc. He added 11 rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block in 41 minutes of excellent two-way play.
Holiday's explosion helped mitigate the impact of a cold shooting performance from Jayson Tatum, who needed 22 attempts from the floor just to get to 18 points. Tatum can also thank Holiday for saving his night from total embarrassment, as Holiday consistently knocked down shots off of passes from Tatum, who finished the contest with a game-high 12 assists.
Performances like the one Holiday had in Game 2 show why the Celtics made a move to acquire him via a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers last October. To double down on their commitment to Holiday, the Celtics even inked him to a four-year extension deal worth $135 million back in April. That investment is paying off nicely for the Celtics, who defeated the Mavericks, 105-92, to go up 2-0 in the series.
So far in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Holiday is averaging 13.5 points on 51.3 percent shooting from the field and 40.3 percent from the 3-point region, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists through 16 games.
Holiday and the Celtics now prepare for their first road game of the Mavericks series, as they head to Dallas for Games 3 and 4.
Fans react to Kendrick Perkins' Jrue Holiday take
“I’m telling yall… defense wins championships and NO offense can beat the C’s stacked defense,” said @thaofficialkat.
“Man it comes down to. Celtics have basically all 2 way players and Dallas doesn’t have any. That’s all that’s happening,” commented @ZayStat.
“Giannis really thought it was a good idea to trade Jrue for Dame 🤦🏾♂️,” shared @Brklynz_Own.
From @yann20011960: “He is their finals MVP so far, and it’s not even close… he guards Dallas best player and scores/assists…”
“Right on, Perk. He's the experienced leader the Celtics needed. Calm intensity, nonstop effort, unsurpassed defense and sheer intelligence are a unique combination,” chimed in @TherapyCat.
Via @KurtsCorner401: “Jrue holiday is the absolute best version of Marcus smart and it shows with this Celtics team!”
“I agree The Milwaukee bucks made a mistake trading away Drew holiday. The piece to trade should have been Chris Middleton,” @MrAllen129 seconded Perkins' take.
“He’s been an absolute nightmare both defensively and offensively. He’s been terrorising kyrie,” shared @kojomuni.
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