Holiday trade altered course of season

Veteran guard has fit seamlessly into Celtics' offence while supplying his usual stout defence

- DOUG SMITH

If the Boston Celtics do what now feels inevitable and win the NBA Finals, you wonder what kind of championship share they'll save for Jon Horst.

It was Horst, general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks, who set in motion the move that ended up with Jrue Holiday landing with the Celtics. Having watched the veteran guard through two games, the debt Boston owes Milwaukee is tremendous.

The process is etched in everyone's mind: The Bucks wanted Damian Lillard to pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo and shipped Holiday to Portland in a blockbuster trade. Then the rebuilding Trail Blazers, really not in a position to take advantage of Holiday's skills, flipped him to Boston.

It's like the Celtics fleeced the Bucks without the Bucks even realizing it, and watching Holiday pour in 26 points while supplying his usual stout defence in Boston's 10598 Game 2 win Sunday demonstrates just how well it turned out.

It is a testament, mainly, to Holiday.

"Since he's been here, his role has been different from what it was the last few years on Milwaukee, and he's been able to adapt," Boston's Jaylen Brown said after Sunday's game. "Not a lot of guys can do that: be versatile, play different roles and different styles and still have an effect on the game.