Jordan Maillot
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Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers is not for the faint-hearted, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has confirmed that.
Many fell victim to the brutality Philly’s fanbase could deliver, especially to opposition players. However, an underperforming player wearing a Sixers uniform also gets a lot of sticking, with Ben Simmons being the most notable example.
Simmons’ chokehold in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals has fans turning on him. This ultimately resulted in him not playing a single game for the Sixers and demanding a trade.
Holiday, on the new episode of the Point Forward podcast, talked about what it’s like to play in Philadelphia. The three-time All-Defensive team member relived a moment when he solicited on behalf of a mocking fan.
“Playing Philadelphia is no joke, bro. When we played Philadelphia the last time in Philadelphia, a guy got kicked out for talking nonsense to me, and I was like, ‘Naah keep -the’. I grew up here. But it was on anyway, it was like nostalgia.”
The Sixers selected Jrue Holiday with the 17th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He played the first four years of his career in Philadelphia, which is one of the reasons he still feels at home.
Jrue Holiday will have to step in for the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals
The Bucks face the Boston Celtics later tonight in Game 1 of their second round of the 2022 playoffs. While Giannis Antetokounmpo will be wanted for production, other players on the team will need to step up, including Jrue Holiday.
The players took 40 shots while defended by Jrue Holiday in these playoffs. Only 10 shots went in. https://t.co/UBMrgUee5P
The absence of Khris Middleton is another factor that created the need for Holiday to play much better for the Bucks. Playing without Middleton, who injured his knee in Game 2 against the Chicago Bulls in the first round, will no doubt affect the Bucks’ performance going forward.
Boston has one of the best defenses in the league, and they’ve shown how effective they are at scoring the basket. Their defensive prowess was on full display when they took down the dynamic Brooklyn Nets duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the first round.
The Celtics significantly limited their production in the four-game series. It’s safe to say that their defense won them the series because it’s hard to imagine the Celtics surpassing KD and Irving if they were allowed to get into their groove.
The Celtics should try something similar while defending Giannis Antetokounmpo. While it won’t be as easy as Durant because of Giannis’ physique, they will surely make things a little tough for the reigning NBA Finals MVP.
This is where Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton and Brook Lopez come in.
If they manage to defeat the Celtics, there’s a chance that Holiday will return to Wells Fargo Arena again to play against his former team. However, it also depends on how the Sixers perform against the Miami Heat.
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We’ll get a preview of how this series will play out when they announce for Game 1 on Monday night. Without Joel Embiid, who was diagnosed with a right orbital fracture, it will undoubtedly be a tougher series for the Sixers.
