Ever since the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns in the instant classic 2021 NBA Finals, both franchises have largely been unmitigated buzzsaws.
On Sunday, in the squads’ first meeting with Kevin Durant in the mix after a wild trade deadline, we saw an uncanny episode of déjà vu. It, of course, involved Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker.
With Holiday guarding him, Booker drove to the lane to knot the game up at 102 points apiece in the final seconds. Unfortunately for Booker, one of the NBA’s elite defenders perfectly stripped the Suns’ guard of the ball as he neared the rim. Thanks to Holiday humbling Booker, the Bucks would gain possession and, in the end, close out a tentpole 104-101 win.
DPOY!! pic.twitter.com/3OXBQjqVfS
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) February 26, 2023
A great defender picking the pocket of a prolific scorer to win a game is one thing. When Holiday uses Booker to kind of recreate the most iconic moment of the Bucks-Suns Finals series, you wonder if we’re living in a simulation.
Well, probably not.
The real explanation is that Holiday has Booker’s number in “gotta have it” situations. If you’re unfamiliar with what I’m referring to, folks recalled the arguable climax from that Bucks-Suns war of attrition since it occurred between Holiday and Booker after their latest run-in.
On one of the final possessions of Game 5 in a tied series, Booker similarly drove on Holiday. The Bucks’ guard would rip the ball out of Booker’s hands and dribble the other way before setting Giannis Antetokounmpo up for an exclamation-point dunk. Milwaukee won 123-119 to take the 3-2 series lead and eventually won the title back home in Game 6.
This compilation of announcer calls around the world might not do Holiday’s legendary sequence proper justice:
🌍 The PLAY heard around the WORLD! 🌏
Announcers all over the globe call Jrue Holiday's clutch steal and alley-oop to Giannis! #ThatsGame pic.twitter.com/uBpcOpQXBT
— NBA (@NBA) July 19, 2021
Phew! While Holiday didn’t facilitate a dunk this time, it’s pretty clear he has a way of creating defensive magic on Booker.
I wouldn’t be shocked if Booker thought of the Suns’ pain from the Finals with the similarities between both plays. Déjà vu can be a pretty cruel customer sometimes.
