While the Celtics endured injury issues through the first round against the Magic, they’re ready to go against the Knicks. The C’s reported no issues on the injury report ahead of Game 1 of the second round, set for 7 p.m. Monday at TD Garden.
Notably, that means Jrue Holiday will make his return to the court. He dealt with a right hamstring strain that kept him out of the final three games of the first round. C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said Saturday that Holiday was getting better every day, and that appears to be good enough to suit up for the second-round opener.
While the Celtics beat the Magic in five games without Holiday, the guard will be a key factor in the New York series. In three regular-season games against the Knicks, he averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
“He’s a great guy,” Derrick White said. “Someone that you look up to. He just does it all the right way. He doesn’t want any of the praise or the recognition, but definitely one of the best people in this game. Obviously he’s a great player, but the person he is, is unbelievable.”
Of course, Holiday’s impact is also measured on the defensive end, and that’s where he makes the Celtics whole once again. His ability to guard bigs in this matchup gives the defending champs versatility. Holiday had success guarding Knicks big Karl-Anthony Towns during the regular season even though he’s a guard. It’ll be interesting to monitor if the Celtics go back to that throughout the series. That’s just another area where the Celtics can throw another wrinkle at the Knicks to keep them off-balance.
Jaylen Brown is also off the injury report as he dealt with a bone bruise in his right knee. He played in every game of the first round against the Magic, but he was listed as questionable ahead of the final three games. Brown offered an optimistic update on his injury when asked about it Saturday, sounding like he’s nearing full strength.
“For me, I’m just trying to trend back in the direction of being 100%,” Brown said. “Physically holding my ground and still making plays for our team. Even with guys being out — Jrue, (Jayson Tatum) missed a game — being able to step in and fill a role. I feel I’m decent. Now, moving forward, it’s a whole different ballgame, different team, different challenges. My focus is fixed on that."
Those are all positive developments for the Celtics as they’ll be at full strength Monday. Jayson Tatum also isn’t listed on the injury report, as he hadn’t been to close out the Magic series, even with the bone bruise in his right wrist.
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Read the original article on MassLive.