The Portland Trail Blazers have been without Jrue Holiday in the lineup after the star guard suffered a calf injury. However, it appears he'll finally return to action on Sunday.
Reports indicate that Holiday will be available to play for the Blazers game against the Knicks, according to team Insider Sean Highkin. After initially being listed as questionable on Saturday, Portland upgraded the 35-year-old guard to probable hours before tip-off.
“Update: Holiday is now listed as ‘Probable.'”
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It's unclear how many minutes Holiday will get in his first game back. The Blazers have largely been relying on Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Caleb Love, and Rayan Rupert in the backcourt. There is a chance that Portland will plug Jrue Holiday into the starting lineup as the point guard and move Avdija to the wing.
But we won't know the official plan until the Blazers take on the Knicks in Portland. Either way, having the two-time All-Star back in the lineup should be a big boost for the team. He was playing rather well before the calf injury, as Jrue Holiday was averaging 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 44.6% from the floor and 36.5% from beyond the arc through 12 games played.
Holiday's return comes at a perfect time for Portland. The club enters Sunday's contest with a 19-20 record, which has them ranked No. 9 in the Western Conference. Jrue Holiday, bouncing back from injury, could be what the Trail Blazers need to compete in a tough conference moving forward. Especially with the team trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign.