Moda Center fans showered Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday with cheers and applause as he checked in at the 7:19 mark of the second quarter on Sunday versus the New York Knicks.
It marked the 35-year-old
veteran’s first game action since Nov. 14, ending a 27-game absence due to a nagging right calf strain.
“Out there I felt pretty good,” Holiday said after the 123-114 loss. “It’s been a long time since I played. But first game back, I tried to get the jitters out and everything.”
The two-time NBA All-Star’s return was easily the best news of Sunday’s defeat. The night ended Portland’s five-game winning streak and included a late-game injury to Blazers star Deni Avdija. But at the very least Holiday was back, giving Portland’s injury-riddled roster a valuable reinforcement and a true point guard to use again.
Trying to get the jitters out and ramp back up to full game shape, Holiday — who started all 12 games prior to his injury — came off the bench in his return and operated under a tight minutes restriction. In 16 minutes of action, he produced eight points, four assists, two rebounds, one steal and one turnover while shooting 2-7 from the field and 2-4 on 3-pointers.
It wasn’t mind-blowing production, but it was effective, especially for Holiday’s first game back in almost 60 days. He couldn’t play live against his teammates much in the lead-up to his return because they were in the midst of the regular season grind. That meant it was difficult for Holiday to consistently put himself against NBA game speed and competition until he faced the star-studded Knicks on Sunday.
“These guys play faster than the [player development] coaches,” Holiday said. “We have so many guys that are playing hard and playing so many minutes that I couldn’t necessarily go against them, but honestly I think I did great. A lot of people said it didn’t seem like I missed too much of a beat.”
“He was still getting some rust [off]. That’s normal,” Blazers acting head coach Tiago Splitter added. “I think the most important thing is he didn’t feel anything. We also don’t have time to practice too much and get him in game rhythm, so we gotta slowly get him back this way — bringing him in in short stints, in and out, in and out, and little by little, get him more minutes.”
Heading into Sunday, Holiday’s uncertain health status had become one of the most troubling storylines of Portland’s season. The situation was compounded by ongoing extended absences for Portland players Scoot Henderson, Blake Wesley, Matisse Thybulle and Jerami Grant. Fan frustrations also grew because Holiday remained out long after the 1-2 week reevaluation period estimated in his initial injury announcement, released by the organization on Nov. 21.
Holiday told reporters his absence dragged on longer than he had expected, too. He had attempted to ramp back up with workouts previously during his recovery, but he felt pain in his calf that made it clear his body wasn’t ready.
“A little bit,” Holiday said about whether the dragging timeline was frustrating. “I don’t have too many years left so I’d love to play as many minutes and games as I can. … Being with this team, obviously they’re fun to watch, but I’d rather have fun playing with them.”
Portland’s starting point guard missing so much time did come with a silver lining: The team learned how to adapt and persevere through the tough situation, with players throughout the roster stepping up to keep the season afloat. For the first month or so after Holiday went down, the Blazers looked dead in the water without him and others. But at the end of December, a flip seemed to switch and the team unlocked a newfound rhythm.
Up until Sunday’s loss, the Blazers had won five games in a row and seven of their last eight. The hot streak was headlined by Avdija’s superstar leap, but it also featured big play from Portland’s starters all the way down to the deep bench players — like two-way contract players Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko — who now find themselves as nightly contributors. Watching from the bench, Holiday was impressed by his teammates.
“Even with bodies down and even though they’re a younger team, you can see how smart they are and how much they’ve grown over a short amount of time,” Holiday said. “I just think the experience is everything.”
Holiday said returning right as the team is in a groove makes him more excited, but he also said he doesn’t want to “throw a wrench” into the team’s surging chemistry and rhythm. Even with that concern, he reiterated a point he made when he first arrived in Portland: He can fit in with any roster.
“These guys are playing well, and they’re playing big minutes, and they’re doing their thing, winning big games,” he said. “I want ‘em to continue to do that. I would love to be a part of it.”
