Jrue Holiday

For opposing ball handlers, few sights are more troubling than crossing midcourt, only to find Jrue Holiday with knees bent, settled into a defensive stance. During an end-of-quarter sequence on December 31, 2024, Boston’s game-changing combo guard confirmed that results weren’t much different when he put his mind to something similar offensively. Forced into desperation mode with under five seconds remaining, and a pass arriving with hot potato-like speed, Holiday sets into his shooting motion from three or four steps behind the 3-point arc. Measured at 27 feet away during his release, Holiday buries a buzzer-beating triple, offering a precursor of what the second half would entail. The Boston Celtics — merely ahead 45-35 against the Toronto Raptors at intermission — emerged as a different team, ratcheting their focus during what became a 54-point win. Not needing to overwork himself during a 25-minute shift, Holiday was rock solid, producing 14 points (on five-of-eight shooting), accompanied by four assists, three steals, and four trifectas.