Playing the back end of a back-to-back and coming off an overtime win, the Boston Celtics looked tired when they visited the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night. The Bucks showed no mercy and dealt the Celtics a thorough beating, 135-102.
Milwaukee meant business from the get-go, but the atmosphere changed during the break when the Bucks gave Jrue Holiday a tribute video.
The contest marked Jrue’s first game in Milwaukee since being traded in the summer, and the Bucks gave him a warm welcome by playing a two-minute video showing some of his best plays during his three-year stint with the team.
Showing some love for Jrue
While the video was being played, the adoring crowd gave Holiday a standing ovation and showered him with thunderous applause in great recognition of the veteran playmaker’s immense contribution to the organization. Jrue was thrilled to see the fans cheering him on.
“It was awesome. My stint here, I had a great time and it was really fun. Had some great memories on the Jumbotron, so it was cool kinda see that. The fans here have always been great. They’ve always been supportive of me and my family and the team here, so it was definitely a fun place to play,” said Holiday, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
Holiday didn’t get to watch the full video, claiming that his focus was on the game after the Celtics fell into a significant deficit right from the opening tip.
“A little bit of it. We was getting our a** kicked though, so I was kinda locked into the game trying to figure that out. But I saw some of it,” Holiday said.
Thankful to Milwaukee
Holiday was instrumental when the Bucks won the NBA title in 2021, ending the team’s 50-year title drought. His tenure with the came to an unexpected end when he was traded during the offseason in a multi-team deal that brought Damian Lillard to Milwaukee.
The Bucks may have let him go, but Jrue remains thankful to the Milwaukee organization for what it has done for his career.
“And again, I just appreciate what the Bucks have done for me and my family. Everything that we’ve been through, the city of Milwaukee, what it means to me and my family, so it was cool to come back. It was cool to have the video, but I’m glad it’s over,” he said.
Jrue also shared touching moments with his former teammates, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez.
Holiday didn’t get the result he wanted in his homecoming as the Bucks pulled off a lopsided 135-102 victory. Jrue shot 2-of-2 from the field and scored just six points in the loss.
