The Celtics might be without guard Jrue Holiday for a while longer as he deals with a right shoulder strain and his return date remains uncertain.
Holiday has been out since March 17 with the injury, which he sustained during a collision with Wizards forward Richaun Holmes when Holmes was setting a screen.
“I still want to play. That’s part of the reason I play basketball,” Holiday told The Boston Globe Friday. “But it’s also keeping rhythm. Sometimes, when you’re out for a long time, you break the rhythm, but I feel like I’ve been in a good groove, and I want to continue to play.”
The shoulder injury has caused him to be nursing a “dead arm”.
C’s Coach Joe Mazzulla also provided an brief update on Holiday’s condition, “He’s in good shape. He’s doing well. He’s getting better.”
Although Boston have been doing just fine without Holiday, his presence during the postseason will be crucial.
Holiday’s efforts on both sides of the ball will be needed against the top teams in the league.
The Celtics have one of the best defensive ratings (110.5) in the league, second only to the Timberwolves (108.3), which is largely due to Holiday’s contributions on D.
The 33-year-old is averaging just 12.8 points per game this season, which marks his lowest average since his rookie season with the 76ers.
However, he’s putting up career-high numbers in three-point shooting (44.5 percent) and rebounds (5.4) and assists (4.9). He’s also landing 64 percent of corner threes.
If Boston want to take out the championship, having Holiday back on the court during the playoffs is crucial.
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