Jrue Holiday has missed the Boston Celtics' last two games as he deals with a "mallet finger" injury. But he may not be sidelined for much longer.
The veteran guard was a full participant at Boston's practice Tuesday and potentially could return to action as soon as Wednesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers, head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters.
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"He went through practice. He shot. He was able to go through everything," Mazzulla said.
Mazzulla noted the Celtics will continue to monitor how Holiday feels after his workouts, but added it's "definitely a possibility" Holiday could suit up Wednesday at TD Garden.
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"He was able to go through his shooting routine and go through his individual workout and was able to be with us the entire time," Mazzulla said.
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Holiday suffered the injury going for a rebound in last Wednesday's loss to the Detroit Pistons. "Mallet finger" is caused by damage to a tendon in the finger that causes it to droop downward at an angle, and the severity of the injury can vary, with some players needing surgery and others playing through the ailment.
Holiday appears to be in the latter camp, as he's been wearing a splint on his right pinky finger to keep it as straight as possible.
"I’m going to be in a splint for a minute," Holiday said Sunday, via The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach. "But figuring that out, too, on my shooting hand … I’ve jammed a lot of fingers, but never really had this one, I don’t think."
It's certainly good news that Holiday likely won't miss extended time, and it sounds like this is more of a pain management issue for the veteran guard. But it's worth monitoring how the injury affects his shooting. The 34-year-old is shooting just 34.2 percent from 3-point range this season -- on pace for his worst percentage since 2018-19 -- after making 42.9 percent of his threes in 2023-24.
Celtics-Blazers tips off Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
