The Boston Celtics took a near-unassailable 3-0 lead over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals following their 114-111 win in Game 3. The win wasn’t easy as the Celtics had to mount a nine-point fourth-quarter comeback against the Tyrese Haliburton-less Pacers. Boston’s fightback in the final period was aided by their dazzling defensive display, led by veteran guard Jrue Holiday, whose stellar play earned plaudits from San Antonio Spurs icon Manu Ginobili. The four-time NBA champion praised the Celtic on social media, writing, “What a player!”
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https://twitter.com/manuginobili/status/1794566862182994418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Ginobili’s post came in the aftermath of Holiday’s game-winning defensive play in the dying moments of the contest. With less than eight seconds left, the Pacers trailed by one point and were looking for the game-winning bucket. Indiana guard Andrew Nembhard, who had an exceptional outing, tried to create separation from Holiday to attempt the go-ahead shot. However, the savvy veteran read the play, stole the ball, and drew a foul from Pascal Siakam, before hitting both free throws to extend the Celtics’ lead to three.
Holiday was also the only Celtics player not fooled by the Pacers’ creative play design on the final possession, as he read the play and contested Aaron Nesmith’s game-tying three-point attempt to ice the game for his team.
Did the Pacers just run Four Verts pic.twitter.com/RlyDZnq4A7
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) May 26, 2024
Boston landed the veteran guard during the offseason hoping he’d have the same impact Ginobili had during the Spurs’ last four title-winning runs and his performance in Game 3 proves they made the right call.
Every championship contender craves players like Manu Ginobili and Jrue Holiday
Few would understand what Jrue Holiday brings to this Celtics team more than Manu Ginobili. The Argentine spent his career playing in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Kawhi Leonard’s shadow. The exceptionally talented guard could’ve left the Spurs to chase a bigger role and a massive payday at any point in his career, but he was content being the third and even fourth choice on offense to help San Antonio win titles.
Holiday has been in a similar position for the past four seasons. The guard joined the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020 and had to be content as the third choice on offense behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. However, he was the defensive lynchpin alongside the Greek superstar and his stellar work on both ends of the floor added a new dimension to the Bucks and they won the NBA title in his debut season with the franchise.
Last offseason, the Bucks traded Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers to land perennial All-Star Damian Lillard, but his new team knew they wouldn’t be able to hold on to him for too long. Several title contenders pitched their best offers to the Trail Blazers to land the veteran guard, before the Celtics won the sweepstakes.
The move could’ve been disastrous had Holiday refused to be the fifth-choice on offense behind Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis. However, the Celtics knew he was cast in the same mold as Ginobili, and he’d sacrifice his role on offense and lock up the opposition’s best guard on defense to help them win games. The results show they weren’t mistaken.
They were the best team in the league during the regular season by a country mile, breezed past the field in the East playoffs, and are only one win away from the Finals. The league has seen several superteams since the turn of the century, but only a handful have lived up to expectations because only a few have had elite players like Holiday and Ginobili willing to make sacrifices for the team’s betterment.
