BOSTON — Jrue Holiday got plenty of requests from those around him for a new celebration idea: put up his pinky to his lips just like Dr. Evil. So that’s what he did in his first game back as the Celtics downed his hometown Lakers on Saturday at TD Garden.
Holiday made his return to the court after a four-game absence due to a mallet finger. He still had a cast on his right pinky finger, but he was able to play through the issue Saturday.
“It was alright,” Holiday said. “I got a couple of shots up and it felt a little weird. But I’ve been trying to shoot for the last few days, so it was cool. I shot alright.”
Holiday played 35 minutes in the win, finishing with seven points, five rebounds and an assist. He shot 3-for-6 from the field, including 1-of-3 on 3-pointers. His jumper was a question mark considering his pinky, but he made multiple jumpers on the night.
So it appears Holiday is good to go going forward. He’s dealt with some issues throughout the season, including a lingering shoulder injury that kept him out for the final handful of games ahead of the All-Star break. While Holiday played in three games since the break, this new finger injury kept him sidelined.
The Celtics are slowly getting closer to full strength. They were without Kristaps Porzingis on Saturday as he missed his fifth straight game due to an illness. The C’s will hope Porzingis is back on the court soon as they already returned Holiday to the lineup. And as a bonus, the Celtics got the win Saturday over the Lakers.
“This game means a lot to us,” Holiday said. “Obviously being the Lakers and you know the history behind that and Lakers and Celtics. Playing in LA and getting getting our (expletive) whooped wasn’t fun. We just had to take on the challenge and even on top of that, being at home, and being able to play in front of our crowd and and in front of our family, it means a lot to get to win.”
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