Is Jrue Holiday playing tonight against the Miami Heat? | 2021-22 NBA Preseason
Jrue Holiday suffered an ankle injury during the Milwaukee Bucks’ season opening victory over the Brooklyn Nets as he limped off the court during half-time.
Holiday had 12 points with a rebound and an assist each as his team went on to win the game 127-114, banking on a humungous 32-point double-double from main man Giannis Antetokounmpo.
On the other hand, Khris Middleton also finished with 20 points and nine rebounds as the Bucks started off the 2021-22 NBA campaign on a high. However, Jrue Holiday’s injury has put a dampener ahead of their match against the Miami Heat later today.
#Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said guard Jrue Holiday will be out tonight v. the #Heat as he recovers from right heel & thigh contusions v. Brooklyn.
What is Jrue Holiday’s status for tonight's game against Brooklyn Nets?
The Milwaukee Bucks will be missing Jrue Holiday for their match against the Heat, something that coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed during a press conference earlier today. Holiday’s absence is despite the fact that the injury itself is not a major one.
The Milwaukee Bucks are not looking to take any chances with one of their most important players on both ends of the court.
Hence, Holiday will not feature in the match which should mean increased minutes for the likes of Pat Connaughton, George Hill, and Jordan Nwora.
Nwora in particular has been impressive through the preaseason and came off the bench in the Bucks’ first game to put up 15 points and 5 rebounds.
When will Jrue Holiday return?
After the match, Mike Budenholzer also told reporters that Holiday's back MRI scan came clean, which means that the injury itself is minor and should not take too long to heal. Holiday appeared to have injured himself during a drive to the bucket in the second quarter.
Jrue Holiday is out for the rest of the night with a heel contusion. It looked like he hurt that on a trip to the basket earlier in the quarter.
He did not immediately leave but was forced to exit the game soon after. Regardless, while he is not going to feature in the match against the Miami Heat, fans can expect Jrue Holiday to return in time for the game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Jrue Holiday’s importance for the Bucks seemed to increase towards this crucial fixture as he played a huge role in the Bucks’ fightback against the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals that they won 4-3.
This year, the Milwaukee Bucks have a largely unchanged lineup with Giannis recently claiming that they still have the quality to go all the way despite other teams improving their rosters significantly.