Due to Jrue Holiday made a leap in the eighth consecutive Celtics victory over the Raptors.
Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday has taken a sacrificial backseat in the scoring department this season, but can still find the net when necessary.
That rang true during Monday night’s 105-96 victory over the Raptors, the fourth of the campaign to close out the Boston-Toronto season series — sending the Celtics to the winners column for the second straight time.
Holiday scored a season-best 22 points while shooting 7-of-14 with six rebounds and seven assists, knocking down four critical 3-pointers. The 33-year-old, best known for his defense, identified the need to take a step forward with offensive aggression and it paid off for the Celtics.
“I felt like it was needed,” Holiday said postgame, per NBC Sports Boston. “I just took the opportunities that were given to me and we were just trying to be aggressive on both ends of the floor.”
An encouraging step for Holiday, who entered the contest averaging 10.9 shot attempts per game — the fewest averaged since Holiday’s third NBA season — with 12.8 points. Spotting a picture-perfect chance to remind everyone that like the rest of Boston’s starting five, Holiday too can be leaned on for scoring.
That’s a notable leap amid what’s been a transition in Holiday’s debut year with the Celtics this season, following a three-year run with the Milwaukee Bucks.