“He was out for about a week or whatever, and once we got to the Finals, the practice before Game 1 was the first day he actually practiced with us. Like, the first day he practiced, and he’s going 150 miles an hour.” Having played alongside him during the 2021 NBA Finals, Jrue Holiday knows the potential that Giannis Antetokounmpo holds. Even when returning from an injury, the ‘Greek Freak’ would know to give his best. Therefore, going into the upcoming matchup, the now Celtics star would be hoping that his squad performs well. Fortunately, from the looks of things, he will be doing his part in helping to secure the win for his team too.

According to the Boston Celtics Injury Report, Jrue Holiday’s name is finally absent from the list. This update comes after the 34-year-old was absent during the 2 games against the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat. However, the same kind of update hasn’t come Kristaps Porzingis’s way. The 29-year-old power forward/center continues to remain as ‘Questionable’ for the upcoming game. Jayson Tatum and Al Horford also continue to hold the same status. All of their absence would reduce the Celtics’ odds by quite a bit.

Jrue Holiday was initially on the report after having sustained a case of right adductor tightness. Later, the player somehow ended up sustaining a left knee tendinopathy as well. This ensured that he would stay benched for an additional game. Fortunately, his condition has improved well enough so that neither injury will keep him sidelined.

As for Kristaps Porzingis, the Latvian hadn’t made his season debut until almost two weeks ago. This was because Porzingis continued to recover from the torn retinaculum, and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon, that he sustained during the 2024 NBA Finals. He got surgery during the offseason. Therefore, Porzingis had received plenty of time to rest and recover. Despite it, he is still not fully out of harm’s way. As a result, the injury management may or may not allow him to go up against Giannis Antetokounmpo and co at the TD Garden.

Speaking of ‘The Greek Freak’, Giannis had also recently found his name removed from the Injury Report. However, the player is now back, this time not because of a stomach illness, but a knee injury. Fortunately, since his status is ‘Probable’, there is a high chance for Giannis to be available for the game.

Having Kristaps Porzingis, along with Tatum and Horford, would have helped to improve the Celtics’ odds. After all, the past tells us something. It tells us that Jrue Holiday doesn’t always give his best when competing against Giannis Antetokounmpo and co.

How has Jrue Holiday performed against the Milwaukee Bucks over the last few games?

Since the Boston Celtics took him in, Jrue Holiday has gone up against his former team in 5 games. The Celtics have held the lead in these games with a 3-2 record. However, performance wise, Jrue Holiday wasn’t always on top.

According to Statmuse, Jrue Holiday has averaged only 11.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists over the 5 games. The point guard/shooting guard wasn’t always efficient on the shooting front. After all, he only made 4.0-10.6 (37.7%) field goals, and 2-6 (33.3%) three-pointers. However, with a 100% free throw rating, Holiday did make all of the foul shots that he was awarded.

Jrue Holiday has seldom shied away from giving his former team their due respect. In fact, the first time he went up against them after being traded, he highlighted his anticipation by stating “About as motivated as any other game. Obviously, this is one of the top teams in the East. So, just see, kind of, where we test out and how it goes.” As of now, with a 18-4 win record, the Boston Celtics rank higher than the Milwaukee Bucks. Whether this motivation will be enough for Jrue Holiday to secure the win against the rival team is something that remains to be seen.