BOSTON — The Boston Celtics pulled out a win in their last game over the Toronto Raptors (even if it took a Jayson Tatum game-winner at the end of overtime). It was a hard-fought contest by both sides, but Boston squeaked by. Toronto was dealing with a ton of injuries, and the Celtics were missing one of their starters, too—Jrue Holiday.
Holiday was initially questionable to play in the game due to knee issues, but he was ruled out pre-game. When asked about the ailment, Joe Mazzulla remained confident that Holiday wouldn’t be out on a long-term basis. “No update, and I don’t expect it to linger,” he said.
And on Monday morning, that update proved to be true.
Jrue Holiday will play vs. Cavaliers
Though it was a small update, Mazzulla confirmed before practice on Monday that Holiday will be good to go for the Celtics’ NBA Cup game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
That means Holiday will have only missed one game with his knee issue.
Holiday has been a crucial part of the puzzle for the Celtics this year. In the 13 games he’s appeared in, he is averaging 12.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting 48.4% from the floor and 36.4% from beyond the three-point arc.
His contributions on the offense end are important, but his defensive impact is perhaps the most essential part of his game. That’s without even mentioning the leadership Holiday provides off the floor.
Boston has been lucky on the injury front for the past year. Outside of Kristaps Porzingis’ extended absence, they haven’t had any of their top guys miss significant time. Even when names have popped up on the injury report, it’s only been for a game or two at a time.
Jaylen Brown missed a few games with a hip issue earlier this year. Jayson Tatum sprained his ankle a bit against the Milwaukee Bucks, but he didn’t miss any time. Luke Kornet missed a couple of games.
Despite all of that, the Celtics have gotten their guys back in a very short amount of time, and that’s a blessing not every NBA team gets to enjoy.
Holiday’s injury now falls under that distinction, too. There’s a chance the issue could continue to show up throughout the year, as knee injuries don’t always just go away, but for the time being, he’s back and ready to roll.
And that’s great news for the Celtics.