Perhaps thanks to Joel Embiid, there was no other way to end the Bucks-Celtics game in a day after so much individual award discussion. Embiid is right that too much depends on the opinions of others, which made it all the more galling that the MLBPA accepted introducing a similar system for their players. But that’s a discussion for another day.
Still, these things matter to players, as well as anyone who wants validation for the hard work they’ve put in and the improvements they’ve made. It seems that Jrue Holiday had some thoughts about Marcus Smart winning the Defensive Player of the Year award, and submitted his screener a little late but not too early to make his own statement:
“It’s not like I planned it or anything,” Holiday said, describing the game after the game. “I just went after it; it was instinctive.”
Holiday wiped out Boston’s last two possessions like taking candy from a dead sloth to round out Milwaukee’s exemplary fourth quarter, coming back from 14. in a 110-107 win In Boston. It was also the icing on the cake of a 24-8-8 performance by Holiday over 40 minutes.
The Bucks are now leading the series 3-2.
“We’re in Boston, we lost 14 in the fourth quarter and people would say everything is against us,” Holiday said after the game. “But we get together. I feel like we’ve done this a number of times and we live and die with it. Support each other’s backs, just cross your arms and go up fighting – honestly, just keep it on the line.
Holiday’s block authority was the perfect symbol of how the Bucks ripped that block away from the Cs, who had led since the start of the 2nd quarter. Holiday wanted to make sure everyone knew he was a fucking defender himself, even if he had to back off now…acting DPOY to do so.
“He’s a winner. Jrue Holiday is a winner,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. “Ask any player in this league, any coach in this league, he’s a winner.”
