Jrue Holiday Embracing Celtics Rivalry In East With Heat

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday is no stranger to Eastern Conference rivalries after several playoff runs with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Holiday’s first season in Boston has given him a taste of the Celtics’ rivalry with the Miami Heat. The two teams have met in three of the last four Eastern Conference Finals, with Miami advancing twice.

In the latest installment on Thursday night, the Celtics dominated the Heat at Kaseya Center in a 143-110 victory. In an encouraging showing from Boston’s stars, Holiday noted the excitement of jumping into the rivalry.

“It’s fun,” Holiday told Abby Chin after the win, per NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “It’s fun to be a part of a rivalry and something bigger than yourself. To be on this team has been amazing for me.”

Holiday tallied 17 points with five assists and five rebounds in a victory where the Celtics had seven players finish in double figures.

“They’re a team that plays defense very well,” Holiday added. “They scramble a lot and try to run people off the three. I think we had a lot of ball movement and got some wide open shots.”

The Celtics look to ride the momentum back home to Boston on Saturday night in a matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers.