The Celtics are back to full strength.
Boston will have its full rotation available for the first time since Game 1 against Orlando as they enter their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup with the New York Knicks—the first postseason meeting between the Atlantic Division foes since 2012.
Jrue Holiday, who missed the final three games of the first round due to a hamstring injury, is off the injury report and available for Game 1 against New York at TD Garden on Monday night. Joe Mazzulla said after Saturday’s practice that the 34-year-old was a full participant in the session.
“He was able to do everything that we worked on,” Mazzulla said. “He’s getting better every day.”
Holiday has played well against the Knicks this season. He scored at least 14 points in all three games, averaging 16.0 points on 66.7% shooting (18-of-27) from the field and 57.1% (8-of-14) from deep, along with 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals. Boston is 54-3 all-time (including playoffs) when Holiday scores 14+.
He’s also made at least two three-pointers in each game against New York. The Celtics are 74-12 all-time (including playoffs) when Holiday hits at least two threes.
“When he’s aggressive for us, we’re a different team,” Mazzulla said of Holiday after Boston’s Game 1 win over Orlando.
The six-time All-Defensive selection will play a key role in trying to slow down New York’s All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson. The 2024 NBA Clutch Player of the Year averaged 26.0 points (48.8% FG, 38.3% 3PT), 7.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds this season. He was one of just four players—along with Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Cade Cunningham—to average at least 26 points and seven assists.
In New York’s first-round series against Detroit, Brunson averaged 31.5 points (43.7% FG, 33.3% 3PT), 8.2 assists, and 4.0 rebounds, scoring 30 points in five of their six games. His 12 career playoff games with 30+ points are tied with Willis Reed for the second-most in Knicks history.
Brunson averaged 26.8 points (52.8% FG, 43.3% 3PT) and 5.3 assists against Boston this season.
“You just can’t do it with one guy, right? It takes a team. It takes different matchups. It takes different coverages,” Mazzulla said on defending Brunson. “But, there’s got to be a level of physicality, a level of discipline, a level of attention to detail on tendencies. If you add up all the points, there are a number of points to which you can work to be disciplined and work to control. But, at the same time. He’s a great player, and he’s going to make plays. So, to me, that’s where the margins are so important. If you put yourself in a position where you don’t impact the margins at a high level, players of his caliber, who can get to his spot and get to the free throw line, put you in a tougher spot. So you have to defend him as a team. You have to be disciplined in your tendencies. Have to do a great job on the margins.”
Jaylen Brown, who was listed on the injury report with a knee issue during the final three games of the first round (though he played in all of them), is also off the report.
Brown averaged 23.0 points on 49.4% shooting (44.4% from three), 7.6 rebounds (a playoff career-high), 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals against Orlando. He said on Saturday that his knee is trending in the right direction.
“I felt like [the first round] went well for me personally and for our group. For me, just trying to trend back into the direction of being 100% and just physically holding my ground, etc., still making plays for our team,” he said. “I’m starting to turn the curve. I think structurally, everything is fine. I’ve had some other stuff going on, but I think I’m kind of trending in the right direction.”
Game 1 is Monday night at 7PM EST.
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