Aaron Holiday provides Suns much-needed boost off bench vs. Clippers
Feb 15, 2022, 9:00 PM | Updated: Feb 16, 2022, 12:05 am
(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Phoenix Suns guard Aaron Holiday provided a much-needed boost for his team in Tuesday night’s 103-96 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Footprint Center.
With the Suns trailing 26-22 at the end of the first quarter, Holiday came off the bench in what was his first real minutes since being traded from the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline last Thursday.
He scored 10 points in nine minutes of garbage time late in Saturday’s 132-105 win over the Orlando Magic.
WE SEE YOU, AARON. đź‘€
Doing a little bit of everything! pic.twitter.com/gsb26QTr6e
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 16, 2022
In just over six minutes on the court in the second quarter, Holiday hit a pull-up three in addition to handing out two assists — one of which was an alley-oop slam for center JaVale McGee.
“Everybody keeps saying we got a Holiday, so you already know what it is,” Paul said of Holiday and his two other brothers in the NBA, Jrue and Justin. “They hoop, play hard, defend, great teammates.”
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 16, 2022
But Holiday’s offensive output wasn’t his only contribution on the floor, as his plus-minus through the first half was +7, the second-highest of the game behind only teammate Cam Johnson’s +12.
The guard also made two separate stops in transition at the rim and forced Clippers’ Luke Kennard to turn the ball over by blowing up the play with the ball going off the L.A. guard’s hands.
“Aaron comes in here and he fits right in,” Suns guard Devin Booker told reporters postgame. “He’s a winner, he makes winning plays, he has a high IQ for the game and plays both sides of the ball.”
Holiday finished the night with three points on 1 of 1 shooting to go along with two assists and two rebounds in over 10 minutes played.
“I dapped him up after the game bro, I’m like he’s hoopin’,” Suns wing Mikal Bridges told reporters postgame. “It’s tough to come from a different team but he fits right in, picking up full. I keep telling the bench, I’m like, ‘Yeah we got a Holiday on our team, man. Them boys be guarding.’
“So he’s just picking up full (court), disrupting the game. Having him and (Elfrid Payton) out there just disrupting everything defensively is just great. And on the other end, he can do everything you want: float, jump shot, finish. He’s just a complete player and just happy he’s on our team.”
