He hadn’t played in an NBA game for seven-plus months, so it seemed logical for New Orleans Pelicans coaches and teammates to urge patience as Jrue Holiday made his return to the team. As it turns out, that wait-and-see approach was really only necessary for about one half of basketball.
After a somewhat out-of-sync, five-point first half for him Friday vs. Portland, Holiday piled up 16 points after intermission in a 12-point triumph over the Trail Blazers. The next night, the point guard registered 22 points and nine assists, keying an overtime victory vs. Charlotte. In the span of 24 hours, a New Orleans team that began the season 2-10 sans Holiday had doubled its win total with the one-time All-Star back in the fold.