Jrue

Holiday

Eleven of Portland’s 18 turnovers in Game 4 were committed by two players. Holiday racked up six, while Deni Avdija was responsible for five. Holiday was solid as a scorer, shooting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, but the mistakes were too much to overcome as the Spurs turned up the dial defensively in the second half. Holiday has scored at least 20 points in consecutive games, but he’ll need to be more efficient as a playmaker if the Trail Blazers are to force a Game 6.

Holiday scored 25 points combined in the first two games of this series and then exploded for 29 points in Game 3. Despite the admirable effort from the 35-year-old point guard, it wasn’t enough as Portland dropped Game 3 at home by 12 points. Holiday and the Trail Blazers will try to even the series in Game 4 on Sunday.

Holiday was cold from the field in Game 1, regardless of whether he was shooting inside the arc or beyond it. The two-time champion was one of three Blazers starters to shoot under 30.0 percent on the evening, contributing to Portland’s overall offensive struggles. He did compensate for the scoring struggles by dishing out double-digit assists, doing so while committing only one turnover. Still, the Trail Blazers will likely need more production from Holiday as a scorer going forward.

Holiday logged 38 minutes in the win and provided much-needed scoring for the Blazers. The two-time NBA champion drained four three-pointers, including a big one down the stretch of the fourth quarter, to help keep Portland within striking distance. He didn’t compile many other counting stats, yet his veteran presence in clutch time helped Portland come from behind and secure a playoff spot. The Trail Blazers will face San Antonio in the opening round.

Holiday wasn’t particularly efficient, but still had a nice game in the non-shooting categories. The 35-year-old guard is just outside the top-100 in per game value this season. Holiday added one block on the defensive end, which is where he could have his biggest impact for the Trail Blazers in the Play-In Tournament.

Holiday was one of Portland’s best offensive weapons on Monday. From a scoring standpoint, his three-point shooting led the way, but his ability to set the table for guys around him was also impressive. The veteran NBA champion didn’t have any defensive stats. However, he’s still arguably one of the better defensive guards in the league, and he’s bounced back with Portland after a lesser role and lower-producing final season in Boston. He’ll remain in a big role down the stretch of the regular season with the Blazers battling for Play-In Tournament seeding.

Holiday has been on a roll from deep recently, having made at least three three-pointers in each of his last five games. And in wins over the Clippers and Pelicans, he shot a combined 14-of-30 from beyond the arc. Add in the rebounds and assists, and this was an excellent end to Week 23 for Holiday. For those whose leagues run through Week 24, the Trail Blazers play four games.

This was an offensive outburst for Holiday, which led to his third 30-point game of the season. This performance was only surpassed by his outing against the Grizzlies on March 4, where he contributed 35 points and eight three-pointers. Holiday has been a strong starter for the Blazers this season, though performances like this haven’t come often. He’ll look to carry some of this production into Thursday’s matchup with the Pelicans, which will be their final game of the week.

Holiday finished Friday’s defeat with his first 20-point game in two weeks, with his scoring output having decreased during the second half of March. After scoring 20 or more in five of Portland’s first six games of the month, the veteran guard was limited to 15 or fewer in seven straight before Friday. With Jerami Grant leaving Friday’s game with a calf injury, the Trail Blazers may need more offensive production from Holiday going forward, which could raise his ceiling. But only if he can take advantage.

After dishing out eight assists in a March 13 win over the Jazz, Holiday totaled seven assists in the two games that followed. The veteran point guard was more productive in that category on Wednesday, dishing out eight helpers while committing just one turnover. Add in the steals and three-pointers, and this was a good night for category league managers rostering Holiday.