The Milwaukee Bucks traded Jrue Holiday to get Damian Lillard, but on Friday night, Holiday showed them what they were missing.
Thrilling Game Finish:
In a close game against his former team, Holiday made a crucial move. With the Celtics barely holding onto a three-point lead in the final minute, he received a pass from Jayson Tatum. He then skillfully maneuvered past Khris Middleton and scored with a floater from the free-throw line. Even after Middleton nailed all three of his free throws, Holiday calmly sank both of his own foul shots with just 14.2 seconds left, securing Boston’s 111-105 victory over the Bucks.
The CLUTCH floater from Jrue! @celtics extend the lead late on ESPN!
— NBA (@NBA)
Player Performances:
Holiday ended the game with an impressive stat line: 20 points, six assists, one steal, and one block. On the other side, Lillard had 31 points along with four assists and a steal. Both players hit four three-pointers; however, Holiday was more efficient with nine attempts compared to Lillard’s twelve.
Season Stats and Reflections:
This season has been kind to Holiday when facing his old squadโhe averages 18.7 points per game while shooting over half of his field goals and nearly 46% from beyond the arc against them. The Celtics have beaten the Bucks in all three matchups this season and are leading by 7.5 games in standings. When Holiday is on court against Milwaukee, Boston outscores them by an average of 9.3 points per game.
Fans think itโs quite exciting to see how trades shake up team dynamics!
Despite being traded away for Lillardโa decision many would agree with on paperโHoliday remains gracious about it all. Speaking on FanDuel TV last November he said he understood why it happened: “On paper… out of ten people who wouldn’t make that trade?” Yet personally admitted he wouldn’t have done so because it’s about him after all! But heyโthat’s just business!
Still thoughโit must feel pretty sweet for him beating those Bucks closely now even if winning an NBA title while they fell early might’ve felt better!
