BOSTON — For the first time since being traded away from the Bucks, Jrue Holiday will be back in Milwaukee for a game. The C’s beat the Bucks earlier this season, but that 119-116 Celtics win was in Boston. So the feelings will likely be a little different once he’s actually at Fiserv Forum.
From Holiday’s perspective, he wasn’t sure how he’d feel being back in Milwaukee for the 7:30 p.m. Thursday game. Holiday, for the most part, hasn’t spoken too extensively about playing his former team.
“We’re a good team,” Holiday said after the Celtics beat the Timberwolves on Wednesday. “We’ve beaten (the Bucks) before. I’m very confident that we have a good chance of beating them again. So I think to be able to go back to Milwaukee should be fun. Again, a place where I was there for three years and we did great things there. But I’m onto better things.”
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Holiday played three seasons in Milwaukee, earning an All-Star nod last season. He was a huge contributor as the Bucks won it all in 2021, playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. Holiday was a stout defensive guard, just like he is with the Celtics, and he was also called upon to score often.
But the Bucks elected to go a different direction during the offseason, making a blockbuster trade to acquire Damian Lillard from the Blazers. Holiday went to Portland in that deal, which is when the C’s front office pounced to land the talented guard in a separate trade. Now, while Holiday’s counting stats are down, he’s a crucial member of the Celtics.
There should be plenty of juice for Thursday’s game in Milwaukee. The C’s bring in their league-best 29-8 record while the Bucks 25-12 and second in the East. The Bucks, though, have struggled in recent games, dropping four of their last five. While there will likely be a nice moment for Holiday on Thursday, he’s moved on as a member of the Celtics.
“It feels great to be out there and to play with these guys,” Holiday said. “It just makes the game so much easier. Sometimes it kind of feels like, ‘Oh, I don’t have to do much.’ (Derrick White) is playing his (expletive) off. Al (Horford) is, Luke (Kornet), (Jaylen Brown), (Jayson Tatum), so I think the talent that we have on our team is so great that it makes it fun to go out there and see other people success.”
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