Watch: Jrue Holiday proves importance to Celtics with key defensive play in Game 1 ECF win

Holiday established himself as one of the league's best defensive players while with the Pelicans from 2013-14 through 2019-20. He was traded to the Bucks before the start of the 2020-21 season and won an NBA title in his first year in Milwaukee.

He's now just seven wins away from accomplishing the same feat with the Celtics, and his defensive acumen will be huge for the team if they plan on finishing the job.

Not only will his defense on Haliburton throughout the ECF be essential, but his matchup — should Boston advance — against whichever elite guard (or guards) emerges from the Western Conference (Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Edwards) could be the deciding factor in the finals.

Following the Game 1 win, Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown, who hit a massive three at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime, was candid about his team's performance. Boston took an early 12-0 lead but allowed the Pacers back into the game before halftime, then scrapped with them the entire second half and overtime.

"We gotta be better, to be honest, but I'll take the win tonight," said Brown. While it might not have been as easy as the former Cal guard would have liked, Holiday's outstanding effort should boost the entire team's confidence.

When he plays the way he did on Tuesday, the Celtics might be impossible to beat.