Inside The Celtics

Jrue Holiday Shares His Thoughts on Celtics Debut

Jrue Holiday came off the bench and registered six points, five rebounds, and two steals in his first game with the Celtics.

Bobby Krivitsky

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Payton Pritchard's 16-point fourth-quarter eruption propelled the Celtics past the 76ers in their preseason opener, rallying for a 114-106 victory.

With Boston's top six playing late into the third frame, the newest member of the team's backcourt also got considerable run.

Jrue Holiday came off the bench to log 22 minutes, registering six points, five rebounds, and two steals.

He also delivered a dime, firing a bounce pass by a defender, leading Jaylen Brown for a thunderous throwdown.

The five-time All-Defensive Team selection was most impactful at the defensive end, silencing Tobias Harris when matched up with him, stonewalling drives, and forcing turnovers.

Holiday and Derrick White figure to prove as disruptive a defensive backcourt as any in the NBA this season.

After the win, the former UCLA Bruin said of his first game as a Celtic, "It felt good. The crowd's crazy. The energy in the building is crazy. First preseason game, so it was fun to get out there and (to) get my feet wet."

The crowd also impressed Kristaps Porzingis, who generated 17 points and five rebounds in his Boston debut.

"It was insane for a preseason game," the former All-Star expressed at the podium post-game. (It was a) fun game to play in; (a) fun game to watch when Payton Pritchard was going off at the end. I don't know what to say. I'm happy to be a Celtic, I'm not gonna lie."

Holiday also conveyed that he's over the trades that sent him from Milwaukee to Portland to Boston and that he's focused on the season ahead, getting acclimated, and learning the Celtics' playbook and schemes, adding that it's been a fun process.

Further Reading

Kristaps Porzingis Comments on Preseason Debut with Boston Celtics

Battle-Tested Payton Pritchard's Emerged Confident, Committed, and Now, Contractually Secure: 'I Won't Let It Ever Break Me'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. 76ers: Extended Run for Top 6, Payton Pritchard Leads Comeback

Sensing Celtics' Excitement, Intensity, Paul Pierce Believes Jrue Holiday's 'The Missing Piece'

Celtics seek long-term marriage with Jrue Holiday

From Envisioning Being a Buck for Life to Joining Top Rival, Jrue Holiday's Ready to Help Celtics Get Where He's Already Been

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present

Determined to Deliver Banner 18, Jayson Tatum's 'Looking Forward to Doing More, And So Should Everybody Else"

Candace Parker on Celtics Trading Marcus Smart, Maximizing Tatum-Brown Tandem, Pat Summitt, and the Sports Matter Initiative

Here's What to Know About Celtics' 2023-24 Schedule

Dwyane Wade Discusses Jayson Tatum's Next Step, Him and Jaylen Brown's Challenge, Heat Culture, Pat Riley, Damian Lillard, and Life After Basketball

Published
Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

Home/News