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No Giannis, no problem: Jrue Holiday's two-way magnificence carries Milwaukee Bucks

Jrue did it all for the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
Matthew Dugandzic|
No Giannis, no problem: Jrue Holiday's two-way magnificence carries Milwaukee Bucks
No Giannis, no problem: Jrue Holiday's two-way magnificence carries Milwaukee Bucks

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Milwaukee BucksPhoenix Suns

Without superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks knew they were in for a tough time against the talented Phoenix Suns backcourt of veterans Chris Paul and Devin Booker. However, they also knew they were in good hands with their All-Star guard Jrue Holiday whose two-way brilliance gave them a fighting chance and, ultimately, the victory.

All-around play

While it's virtually impossible to replace Giannis' monster numbers, Holiday did his best and put together a 33 points, four rebounds, five assists performance. He also added one crucial steal to help secure the Bucks' 14th victory in a row.

Fresh off an All-Star appearance in Salt Lake City, Utah, last week, Holiday looked revitalized and made 13-of-22 from the field, including 4 three-pointers. However, his most crucial contribution came on the defensive end. The Bucks were clinging to a two-point lead, 102-100, and the Suns had possession.

They got the ball to their primary shotmaker Devin Booker who went hard to the basket but had the ball tipped away from him by Holiday.

Defensive instincts

Holiday admitted that Booker's dribble move got him enough separation. However, Holiday added that once he saw Booker expose the ball for a moment, it was enough time to get a hand on the ball and swat it away.

"Kind of shot the screen and stayed with Book," Holiday said. "He went left once, thought I did a good job keeping him at bay and then he went left again. He made a good move because I felt like I was beat, but he just kind of exposed the ball. I went for a steal and ended getting a hand on it, and Brook ended up with it."

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.