Jrue Holiday's emergence as one of the key difference-makers has been perhaps the main spark fueling the New Orleans Pelicans' quick sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers, surprisingly booting out the third seed in convincing fashion and becoming the first team to secure a ticket to the next round of the postseason.
The 6-foot-4 guard has garnered a knack for engaging in verbal spats with fans, something he's learned to channel into big performances.
“I have no idea where that came from, talking smack to the fans. I've never seen it,” said his teammate Anthony Davis, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press. “I love it. If he can keep getting 40 for us then I'll make him mad every game.”
A trash-talking expert in his own right, Rajon Rondo can understand just how Holiday is transforming this competitive energy and translating it into results — playing with a bigger edge than ever and stepping up in key moments.
“It's just a different side of him. He's playing with a lot of rage,” Rondo said. “He's overlooked a lot. What he's doing now, the world's finally seeing the real Jrue Holiday and I love every minute of it.”
Holiday's all-around game didn't deviate much from his regular season averages, but his scoring certainly picked up, averaging a whopping 27.8 points per game through four games in the first round, while his season average sits at 19 per game.
His biggest contribution came in Game 4, dropping a game-high 41 points, helping the Pelicans punch their ticket to the Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors and secure a week of rest for his team, heading into the series.
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