Jrue Holiday on Saturday made a spectacular steal with the game up for grabs to lift the Milwaukee Bucks over the Phoenix Suns and within one game of their first NBA title since 1971.
The 31-year-old guard, coming off a woeful four-of-20 shooting effort in Game 4, hit 12-of-20 in a 123-119 victory to give Milwaukee a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven NBA Finals, which continue tomorrow in Milwaukee.
Holiday, an All-NBA Defensive First Team selection for the second time in four seasons, had game highs of 13 assists and three steals, and it was the last of each that delighted the Bucks and devastated the Suns.
Photo: AP
“The great thing about Jrue is he can affect the game in so many ways,” Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said. “It says a lot.”
Phoenix’s Devin Booker was looking for a go-ahead basket, but Holiday stripped the ball from him, then seconds later lofted a high pass to Greek forward Antekounmpo, whose slam dunk was a backbreaker.
“A great play by Jrue. I don’t have any other words for that one,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “I just watched it and he just makes a great play.”
It is the sort of thing Milwaukee’s Pat Connaughton has seen from Holiday all year.
“He’s physical, he’s quick, he’s strong. He’s got a lot of things to him, and he’s got quick hands,” he said. “First Team All Defensive play. It was a defensive play of the year. It just kind of shows we’re built on defense.”
Holiday dropped off his man to double-team Booker, who scored 40 points, when he went into the paint with the ball.
“I was just trying to score,” Booker said. “He was behind me. I turned and he was right there.”
“He turned right into me. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time,” Holiday said.
“I thought he was going to shoot it and I was going to be behind him and try to contest or maybe bother him. Once he pump-faked, I felt like I should stay down and he literally turned into me.”
Once Holiday dribbled away, there was Antetokounmpo waiting for a high pass rather than having Holiday run down the clock.
“Giannis took off and he was calling for the ball,” Holiday said. “So at that point, I just threw it as high as I could and only where Giannis could go get it.”
“He went up there got it. They don’t call him the ‘Freak’ for nothing. I threw it as high as I could,” he added.
Khris Middleton saw Holiday rip the ball from Booker’s grasp and knew what was coming next.
“Once it’s a loose ball, Jrue has got great instincts and great hands,” Middleton said. “When he’s aggressive, he’s one of the tougher point guards to handle — his size, his athleticism, his skill set. He can do so many things on the court when he’s aggressive.”
He sparkled with his shotmaking as well after a bad night.
“It’s just confidence really, just go out there and shoot,” he said. “Teammates keep telling me to shoot. That’s what I did.”
“He’s a winner,” Connaughton said. “He makes winning plays, they’re defense, they’re offense, they’re all over the court.”
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer was happy to see Antetokounmpo and Holiday use their instincts to deliver a knockout punch.
“It was a big play. The steal late, it was just an instinctive play. He’s an incredible defender, strong hands and got in there and took it,” Budenholzer said.
“Most times you just want to pull it out and run the clock, but Jrue and Giannis in a two-on-one, just to put to put two points on the board, just trusting their instincts. They’re playing, they’re competing. That’s what we need,” he added.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and