Jrue Holiday comes to the Milwaukee Bucks' rescue once again
With Giannis Antetokounmpo missing his fourth game in a row and Khris Middleton yet to return because of knee soreness, a mountain of responsibility was yet again placed on the shoulders of veteran guard Jrue Holiday. Holiday didn't disappoint, leading the Bucks with 37 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and a block in their 130-122 victory against the Toronto Raptors.
Stepping up in Giannis' absence
It's nearly impossible to fill the hole left by Antetokounmpo's absence. However, the 14-year pro is doing his best and is averaging 27.0 points, 9.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in his last four games. A night after putting up 35 points against Indiana, Holiday's 37-point total made him the first Bucks guard with back-to-back 35-point games since Michael Redd achieved the feat in 2006.
Holiday's recent performances have not gone unnoticed, and Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer led the praise in the post-game press conference on Tuesday night, saying:
"Two games in a row just vintage Jrue Holiday. He just seems like he's got a bounce, he's got a pop, and the way he's shooting the ball and the way he gets to the rim and the paint and gives us that presence too. He's just doing everything."
Aware of the situation
Holiday is aware that with Antetokounmpo and Middleton out, he has to take on the lion's share of the work. However, he is taking it in stride and knows that his leadership is important for the Bucks to stay afloat in their absence:
“I know when Giannis and Khris are out, I have to be aggressive at some point, touch the paint as much as I can, try to get as many 3s as I can for other players and myself,” Holiday said.
Speaking of threes, Holiday once again drained a crucial stepback triple that put the Bucks up 126-119 with 2:16 remaining. He also swatted away a layup attempt by Toronto's star Fred Van Vleet to help keep the Raptors at bay.
"What's amazing about Jrue is he makes the hardest shots, the most highest degree of difficulty shots look so easy and gives you; like you have the feeling when he's taking one of those shots like, oh, it's nothing, that's going to go in, it's the way it's supposed to be," Lopez said.
