BOSTON — Boston Celtics guard July Holiday deflected a pass in the backcourt, and the Dallas Mavericks star guard, rushing to get the ball across half court before the eight-second violation, threw an errant pass that was intercepted by Derrick White.
White made a save on a ball intended for Holiday, who passed it to Al Horford, who passed it to Holiday, who drained a 3-pointer that was part of a quick 6-0 run that gave Boston a 14-point lead late in the fourth quarter.
That was the case for Holiday, who did everything incredibly well for his team in a 105-98 win over the Celtics in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.
“I'm a utility guy,” Holiday said. “I'll do anything. I'm here to win. I feel like they brought me here to win, and I'm going to do my best to win.”
Holiday scored a team-high 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting, along with 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. He made 2-of-4 3-pointers and all four free throws.
He is the first guard to record at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and shoot 75 percent from the field in a Finals game.
“Jrew is just an outstanding player,” Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said. “Since he's been here, his role has been different than what it was the past few years in Milwaukee, but he's been able to adapt to it. There aren't many players that are versatile and can play different roles and styles and still impact the game.”
“They wanted to emphasize concentration, making sure we made the right reads a lot of times, and Jrue got a lot of opportunities and took advantage of them. He's a really good player, a great person and a great teammate. We owe the win to him tonight. He played well.”
Jayson Tatum struggled with his shot, with Brown and Tatum combining to make just 2 of 12 3-pointers, and it's tough for most teams to counter the shooting of their two best players, but the Celtics have multiple options, including Holiday.
Holiday, who signed a four-year, $135 million contract extension with Boston in April, scored 11 of his 17 points in the second quarter, added six in the third and made a killer 3-pointer late in the fourth.
He was a key part of Boston's success this season. Holiday was acquired in the early fall, just before training camp began. He was expected to start next season with the Milwaukee Bucks, but the Bucks traded for Damian Lillard and Holiday was no longer needed.
Well, he's expendable to the Bucks. The Celtics jumped on the trade, and the Celtics got championship experience (Holiday won one with Milwaukee in 2021), an All-Defensive guard, a capable scorer and a locker room leader.
“Jrue is a great teammate. You can't beat that,” Brown said. “He brings a championship track record to the team. You never question anything Jrue says. He just comes on and is who he is. He's got that attitude, that killer mentality, and we respect that. You know? He's a great teammate and it's an honor to play next to him.”
In Game 1, Kristaps Porzingis, who the Celtics acquired in the offseason, played a major role. With the addition of these two players, the Celtics became a more complete team and are now two wins away from their 18th consecutive franchise win.Number title.
Before answering reporters' questions, Holiday clarified his own comments on Saturday, when Dallas coach Jason Kidd called Brown Boston's best player, saying he didn't think Kidd was lying, a remark that was interpreted as a disparagement toward Tatum.
“I feel like people are taking that out of context. I've heard I like JB more than JT, but that's not true,” Holiday said. “I like to compliment my teammates. I like to compliment my teammates when they're playing well and I think that's what I do best. … I don't like one or the other. I like them both. They're both superstars and they're showing that on the biggest stage in the world.”
Holiday's star continues to shine in the finals.
