The 2024-25 NBA postseason is rolling along, and it won't be much longer until the second round of action begins.
The Boston Celtics barely broke a sweat in the opening round, disposing of the pesky Orlando Magic in five games. The defending NBA Champions will now move on to face the No. 3 New York Knicks in the second round, with the upcoming series beginning with Game 1 at TD Garden on Monday night.
The Celtics are facing several questions before facing the Knicks, including those concerning Jrue Holiday's health. The six-time All-Defensive guard hasn't suited up since Game 2 due to a hamstring injury, leaving Boston fans to wonder if he'd be healthy enough in time to open the second round.
Celtics News: Jrue Holiday's Hamstring Injury is Improving Before Round 2 vs. Knicks
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla shared quite the promising update on Holiday's situation following Saturday morning's practice. The Boston bench boss revealed that his veteran guard finally returned to practice, which is news fans have been waiting a while to hear.
"(Holiday) was able to do everything that we worked on," Mazzulla revealed (h/t @JustinmTurpin). "He is getting better every day."
Mazzulla's positive update comes a day after he deemed Holiday as being "day-to-day" for Game 1 against the Knicks. With the way the situation is quickly progressing, there might be a good chance of the former UCLA Bruin suiting up on Monday night.
The last few months have been bumpy for Holiday, who started picking up more injuries once the calendar flipped to 2025. He was only active for 18 of the Celtics' final 31 regular-season games before missing two of the five postseason outings so far.
The frequent ailments caused Holiday's production to decline in April, resulting in a forgettable first-round performance. In the two games he did play in, the 34-year-old defensive guru only averaged 10.0 PPG while shooting 46.7% from the floor, leaving time to tell if he'll play a bigger offensive role in Round 2.
The good news is that Holiday has played well against the Knicks in the past, especially since becoming a Celtic. In five career outings against New York at TD Garden, Holiday is averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks, a 62.2 FG%, and a 50.0 3P%.
Fortunately, oddsmakers are confident in Boston's outlook even before Holiday's Game 1 status is confirmed.
FanDuel Sportsbook is currently listing the Celtics as the 8.5-point opening-game favorites over the Knicks, while also carrying -360 odds on the moneyline — an implied win probability of 78.3%.
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Odds update periodically and are subject to change.