Celtics guard Jrue Holiday is day to day with a hamstring strain
Holiday will not play in Game 4 of Boston's first round series against the Magic.
ORLANDO — After missing Friday night’s Game 3 loss against the Magic, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday was ruled out for Game 4 after the team released its injury report on Saturday.
He is dealing with a hamstring strain, according to coach Joe Mazzulla.
“He’s doing well,” Mazzulla said Saturday. ”Just taking it one day at a time and seeing how he comes out of it.”
The Magic pounced early in Game 3, upping the defensive pressure while the Celtics were without Holiday’s ball-handling abilities.
The low-scoring, physical matchup seemed as if it was tailor-made for Holiday. The Celtics missed him for a number of reasons.
“The intangibles are endless,” Mazzulla said. “The mentality that he plays with, the selflessness that he plays with, the physicality, and the toughness, and defensive versatility.”
“His ability to guard different possessions, his ability to pressure the basketball, his ability to take tendencies from individuals and just make winning plays, whether it’s our offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding, screening, another ball handler to have out there versus pressure, and then in transition he can create advantages for others with his screening and his pace.”
Holiday plays a versatile role, but the Celtics have to do a better job of controlling what they can control when he’s out of the lineup, Derrick White said.
“Obviously you can’t replace what Jrue Holiday brings on both sides of the ball,” White said. ”Everybody kind of has a little bit different role and responsibility on both sides. Jrue is a special player and obviously we’re a better team with him, but everybody just has to take a step up when he’s not out there.”
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said upping the pressure and giving the Celtics less time to get into their sets and run plays made a difference in Game 3. White is expecting a similar approach Sunday night.
“They’re going to try to speed us up and try to pressure us,” White said. ”That’s what we expected going into the series and we’ve just got to be able to get into our actions quickly and get a good shot up.”
Holiday has brought defensive tenacity, timely outside shooting, and playmaking to this series. He has shot 42.9 percent from 3-point range, posted 11 assists against 5 turnovers, and added 3 steals over the first two games.
“You always want to have your whole team, your most effective players,” Mazzulla said. ”So we’ve grown to have an identity just because of how the season is going with every guy stepping up and doing what it takes to win, but at the same time, you do miss some of that stuff in the playoffs and he played well in the first two games.”
Temperatures rising
The Magic have committed three flagrant fouls that have injured Celtics starters this series.
Jaylen Brown, who dislocated a finger when he landed awkwardly after Cole Anthony pulled him to the floor in the second quarter Friday night, said the Celtics are willing to fight if they have to.
“I don’t know that he said it out of necessarily frustration as he did out of the perspective of doing whatever it takes to win,” Mazzulla said. ”At the end of the day, that’s what the environment calls for, upping the physicality and that’s what we have to do. That’s what the game calls for, that’s what the series calls for and we have to be able to do that.”
Perspective on Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis expressed frustration with his play in Game 3, saying his shot felt “janky” and he played like “[expletive]” after going 3 for 10 from the field and missing all three of his 3-point attempts.
The whole team, not just Porzingis, needs to play better, Mazzulla said, adding that he needed to coach better as well.
“He does a great job of finding a balance and taking accountability,” Mazzulla said. “I don’t think it’s ever as bad as what you think it is. I thought he had some good possessions and some good looks against some mismatches that he has to make.
“After a game like that, everyone is doing that. I’m doing that, all the players are doing that, you’ve just got to look at the 10-15 possessions that you can get better at and just get ready for the next one.”
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com