The term “playoff atmosphere” might be overused, but it perfectly describes Friday night’s Eastern Conference showdown between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.
The game was physical, chippy, and tightly contested, with one of the loudest crowds of the season packing TD Garden. Even Al Horford’s wife, Amelia, rose from her seat along the baseline, urging the crowd to get louder as Giannis Antetokounmpo stood at the free-throw line.
“It wasn’t a playoff game, but it was a special night,” Jayson Tatum said after the game. “These nights where you’re playing a team that’s really good, some special players, and the crowd is really involved, and guys making plays and feeding off the energy of your teammates, the crowd, and the fans— Just another special night at TD Garden.”
It’s easy to brush off a regular-season game in December, but these matchups always carry extra weight. With the history between these two teams, there’s an intensity that feels bigger than a typical night.
Games like this tend to bring out the best from the game’s elite. Evidenced by Giannis and Damian Lillard combined for 61 points, while Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown nearly matched them with 59 of their own.
“Yes, no question,” Horford said when asked if it feels different to play the Bucks. “There are certain teams that it just does – JT’s rookie year, we went to seven against those guys. Year after year, both teams have had a lot of success in the East, and it is different, every time we play them, and that’s just the reality.”
Tatum echoed that sentiment. “I would say that about a few teams that I’ve played frequently in the playoffs,” he said. “There’s just always a little something there as a competitor. We’ve knocked him out of the playoffs. They’ve knocked us out. We’ve both won a championship in the last couple of years. Two prideful teams. You just always know it’s going to be a battle, and it’s going to be fun.”
At the heart of that shared history is Jrue Holiday—who has won championships with both teams.
Both sides know exactly what kind of player Jrue Holiday is: a winner. Whether at TD Garden or Fiserv Forum, they only need to look up at the rafters to see his championship legacy forever etched into their histories with banners.
As they've seen repeatedly, these playoff-like atmospheres are where Holiday thrives—and Friday night was no different. Returning from a two-game absence due to left knee tendinopathy, the 16-year pro didn't miss a beat.
“I would say both ends of the floor,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said on Holiday’s impact. “Tonight, he had some catches in the paint in the second half that drew two or got us layups because of his creativity. We can change matchups. He guarded almost all five guys – he started on Andre Jackson tonight, moved to Giannis a little bit, was on Khris Middleton – So, just his versatility and the ability to change our defenses a little bit with him is huge with his communication. And then, offensively, he can just make plays. He’s gotten really good at finding ways to get his matchup to put two on the ball so he can create for others.”
The six-time All-Defensive guard finished with 20 points on 7-of-14 (50%) shooting, six assists, five rebounds, a steal, a block, and zero turnovers, proving once again his undeniable two-way impact. It was just the second time he scored 20 points this season, with the first also coming against – you guessed it – the Bucks.
In 100 minutes across three games against Milwaukee this season, Holiday has tormented his former team, totaling 56 points (second on the team behind Tatum and Brown) on 51.4% shooting from the field and 59.1% from three, with 11 rebounds, 12 assists, and just one turnover.
“I still want to win,” Holiday said on playing his old teammates. “In between those lines, when it’s tipoff to the buzzer, I want to win. I love them. It’s great seeing them. But every time I play them, and probably even more so because they’re like my brothers. So I want to whoop their ass every time. And they know that, too. They feel the same way about me. I think it’s just about being competitors. To be able to switch it on and off, I don’t know. It’s just like, ‘Hey, bro, good to see you.’ Once the game starts, it’s like, ‘Nah, we not friends anymore.’”
With Friday’s win, Boston improved to 44-1 when Holiday scores at least 14 points, including the postseason.
“It does a lot,” Jayson Tatum said on Holiday’s presence. “We compliment Jrue for being a Swiss Army Knife. We put him on point guards. We put him on the big man. We have him set screens. We have him handle the ball. Facilitate. We have him post-guards up. We just have Jrue do a little of everything. He’s a big part of why we are who we are and why we’re a special team.”
What truly makes Holiday special is his ability to step up in big moments, making those key, winning plays down the stretch.
It’s been over two and a half years since the Bucks left TD Garden victorious—the last time was Game 5 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals, courtesy of Holiday, who sealed the win with a clutch block, rebound, and game-winning steal to prevent the Celtics from scoring on their final two possessions in the waning seconds.
On Friday, Holiday was again at the center of the late-game action. He grabbed a key rebound and found Al Horford for a transition three-pointer to make it a two-possession game, and then added a 14-foot floater with seconds remaining before sinking two free throws to seal the win.
Holiday’s championship pedigree and unmatched versatility are what elevate the Celtics. His impact may not always show up in the stat sheet, but on nights like Friday, it’s clear: Holiday takes this team to another level.
His ability to step up in big moments, fill any role on both ends of the floor, and deliver when it counts has been a game-changer for Boston. It helped them secure Banner 18, and it will be crucial if they do it again.
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