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Celtics’ Jrue Holiday ruled out for third-straight game vs. Magic
Jrue Holiday has been sidelined for the last three games against the Magic due to a hamstring strain.
If the Celtics are going to eliminate the Orlando Magic at TD Garden on Tuesday night, they’re going to have to do it once again without veteran guard Jrue Holiday.
The Celtics ruled Holiday as out for Tuesday’s Game 5 matchup in Boston during Monday’s injury report. The 34-year-old guard is set to miss his third game in a row due to a right hamstring strain.
Boston also listed Jaylen Brown as questionable for Game 5 due to a right knee posterior impingement — although Brown hasn’t missed time this series while playing with that injury designation.
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Holiday suffered his hamstring injury during Boston’s Game 2 win over Orlando, and his recovery timeline has yet to be determined.
“He’s doing well,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Saturday. “He’s day-to-day. Just taking it one day at a time. Kind of seeing how he comes out of it.”
Even if Holiday may not necessarily stuff the stat sheet, his value as a tenacious on-ball defender, steadying presence, and dependable playmaker was evident during last year’s run to a title.
The Celtics boast a record of 18-3 in the playoffs when Holiday plays in a game.
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“The intangibles are endless,” Mazzulla said of Holiday earlier in this series. “The mentality that he plays with. The selflessness that he plays with. The physicality, the toughness, and defensive versatility.”
While Holiday remains out, the Celtics seem to have dodged a bullet regarding Jayson Tatum’s health. After missing Game 2 due to a bone bruise, Tatum returned to the court without any restrictions in Games 3 and 4 and scored a combined 73 points over those two games.
Tatum was not listed on Monday’s injury report, as was the case ahead of Sunday’s Game 4 win.
Even without Holiday, the Celtics are in a prime position to knock out Orlando on Tuesday — giving Holiday and the rest of the roster additional time to rest up before the second round begins.
“This was a big win,” Brown said of Sunday’s victory. “This was a big win on the road in a tough, physical environment, with a team that’s been playing well, and a team that’s been eager to take us out.
“So tonight was a big win. We get our rest and we rally the troops and get back to it. Back in Boston on our home floor.”
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