Despite dealing with illness severe enough to see him placed on the Boston Celtics' injury list prior to Game 3, Jrue Holiday showed up big time for Boston down the stretch of their 114-111 comeback win over the Indiana Pacers.
Indiana led by as many as 18 points and held a nine-point lead with under three minutes remaining. The Celtics came storming back, though, and somehow sealed the improbable comeback in regulation, taking a 3-0 lead in the series.
Holiday sealed the victory with his defensive presence. When the Celtics took a one-point lead with under 15 seconds on the clock, the Pacers still had plenty of time to score a go-ahead bucket. Holiday put an end to that early, swatting the ball away and taking it up the court before being fouled with less than two seconds showing on the clock.
Before that, Holiday made an equally important play on the offensive end, driving into the paint and hitting a layup to tie the game, plus the foul. He drained the ensuing free throw attempt to officially give Boston its first lead since the second quarter.
The NBA world reacted to Holiday's clutch heroics.
Spurs legend Manu Ginobili – “Jrue Holiday! What a player!”
ESPN analyst and former Celtics center Kendrick Perkins – “Best game for Tatum in these Playoffs, huge defensive plays by Jrue and Old Man Big Al came up big for the Celtics with 7 trey balls on the road.”
Former Holiday teammate and four-time NBA champion Andre Iguodala – “I taught Jrue everything he knows… that boy GUUD!!!!!”
Phoenix Suns TV analyst Eddie Johnson – “Give Celtics credit. They made every shot down the stretch.”
Former NBA All-Star Baron Davis – “Cone drills vs real life”
Knicks guard Josh Hart – “Jrue really that guy”
Holiday's Celtics teammate Kristaps Porzingis summed up how Boston is feeling right now – “LFG”
Jrue Holiday and the Celtics take commanding 3-0 series lead
The Celtics' defensive execution was on another level in Game 3 of this NBA Playoffs clash. TJ McConnell's shot at the 2:38 mark was the last field goal that this team allowed. After that, it was a barrage of shots that buried the Pacers and got the whole home crowd miserable.
Jayson Tatum led the way by becoming the first player in the history of the NBA to notch at least 38 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists without being forced to commit a turnover. Al Horford and Jaylen Brown also combined for 47 points. Impact plays by Jrue Holiday and Derrick White then prevented any more points from Andrew Nembhard and TJ McConnell in the clutch.
Holiday, who clinched the game with his late heroics, finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and a blocked shot.
The Celtics look to sweep the Pacers in Game 4 on Monday night from Indiana.
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