Former Celtics guard Jrue Holiday returned to the floor on Sunday night in a reserve role after missing nearly two months due to a sprained right calf.
The two-time champion suffered the injury on Nov. 14 and sat out the past 27 games before returning to the floor with the Blazers on Sunday. The veteran guard came off the bench in a reserve role for the first time all season while facing a minutes limit. He posted eight points, four rebounds, two rebounds and a steal in a 123-114 loss for Portland.
After the loss, Holiday praised his teammates for how they played in his absence. Portland has won seven of their last nine games overall and currently sit at 19-21 in a loaded Western Conference.
“It makes a difference when you have a group of guys that care about each other,” Holiday said via the Rose Garden Report. “We all love to see Sidy [Cissoko] and [Caleb] Love play the way they’ve been playing. I love to see [Donovan Clingan] play the way he’s been playing. Obviously, Deni should be an All-Star this year. It’s just big jumps for everybody and it’s been happening at the right time.
“These guys are playing well and playing big minutes and winning big games. You see these young guys playing well and playing very hard. Not only for me, but this city is seeing how fun it is to watch us play.”
The Celtics traded away Holiday back in June in exchange for Anfernee Simons in a deal that reduced long-term payroll from Boston’s books. Holiday had a tremendous start to the year with his new team, averaging 16.7 points and 8.3 assists per game before suffering the calf strain.
“I don’t have too many years left, so I’d love to play as many games and minutes as I can,” Holiday told reporters in Portland Sunday. “This team, they’re fun to watch, but I’d rather have fun playing with them.”
Holiday’s next chance to play will come against the Warriors on Tuesday night.
