NBA’s Most Discussed Man, Jrue Holiday Says Dallas Mavericks ‘Punched’ Celtics In The Mouth At NBA Finals Game 4

The Mavs have done the unexpected! For fans who were looking for the Celtics to deliver a clean sweep, the Texas team disappointed them by securing a win in Game 4 through a score of 122-84. The 48-point lead that they established is the largest ever secured by any NBA team in the past half-century. Because of this historical milestone, Luka Doncic and Co. are receiving congratulations from all sides of the spectrum, including from members of their rival franchise.

In the post-game presser, Jrue Holiday congratulated the Mavs on their win, stating, “I think winning is hard. I think winning any game is hard. But winning Game 4 of the NBA Finals is pretty damn hard. I think they came out desperate, and I think they punched us in the mouth and we couldn’t kind of recover the way we wanted to.” Since the Cs were just a win away from securing a ring after a 15-year hiatus, the loss would sting the most to them. Despite this, the 34-year-old went out of his way to give credit where it was due.

Jrue Holiday had failed to maintain his average in his two recent matchups. While depositing only 9 points during the previous game, he ended Game 4 with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. This was the result of going 4-10 with his field goals and 2-4 with his 3Ps. While no Celtics player was able to take their individual score beyond 20, Luka and Kyrie dropped a combined 50 to get their team the required momentum.

Due to this, the player knew that he and his roster had to buckle up if they did not want to lose anymore. “We just have to go back home and lock in to tendencies, lock in to the game plan, and we’ll be ok,” said Holiday during the post-game presser.

Boston’s rise under Jrue Holiday has made him a frequent topic of conversation

Amidst the members of the Celtics roster currently making waves, Jrue Holiday certainly stands out on top. Various analysts have now come out to state that ever since the Bucks decided to trade him in exchange for Damian Lillard, the Boston franchise’s luck has changed for the better. While Lillard had trouble adjusting this season, mainly due to his injuries, Holiday turned out to be a perfect “utility guy” for the star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Most importantly, he has accepted being a backup option. His 12.5 ppg. average was the lower since his rookie days, but in the larger context, that cannot really be painted as a problem.

As the Celtics inched closer and closer to securing the championship ring, people opted to put Jrue Holiday as their focal point of discussion. Former Denver Nuggets coach and Hall of Famer George Karl gleefully took to his X account to state, “People said I was crazy when I said swapping Damian [Lillard] for Jrue [Holiday] was a downgrade”. Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid also sent out the praise for his on-court rival by posing the question “Did the bucks give them the championship?”

Embiid’s question caught the attention of Golden State Warriors’ power forward Draymond Green. During one of his recent podcast episodes, the 34-year-old replied “yes” to Embiid’s doubt.

“They traded Jrue away, and I just think like you got to find (a way) and do all you can to keep Jrue because Jrue can guard bigger,” said Green. “Jrue can play off the ball, on the ball, there’s no mismatch with Jrue and (Lillard).” However, by giving him to the Celtics, they more than guaranteed that he would help his new roster reach all the way to the Finals.

While the Mavericks need three more wins to secure the Championship, Jrue Holiday and Co. need just one. Therefore, the upcoming Game 5 will provide the Celtics one more chance to close this historical chapter for good.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about WNBA star rookies Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.